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grievedeeply · 2 years

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the less time, the better. pt 5.

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pairing: heimdall x gn!reader / familial kratos and atreus

summary: your father returns from vanaheim and you get the chance to talk to him face to face. a familiar face returns.

notes: finally kratos time!! i love writing him as a worried father it's so sweet lol. a little bit of angst this chapter.... anyway. no romance this chapter at all buuut it'll be worth it when it comes around. i hope. enjoy this part and let me know your thoughts!

your father still wasn't home yet.

you had been sitting at the large, wooden table in the center of sindri's house for what felt like years, waiting for him to return. you had nothing to occupy your mind other than thoughts of asgard and what inevitably waited for you when you returned, and the idea of it made you cringe. you could already picture heimdall's cocky smirk, his teasing tone. it was as clear as day in your head, and you hated it.

you knew that, once you returned to asgard, he would rub the fact that you left in your face. he would say you're being childish, or too cowardly. the truth was the opposite. you felt guilty for leaving your family with no answers, and it had been eating at you the entire time you had been there. you were tired of that heavy feeling on your chest, and decided to take charge of your emotions. something that heimdall didn't seem like he could do.

you could picture his expression from the day you met in your mind. he couldn't understand how he lost, so he refused to acknowledge it until weeks later. you saw how pink his cheeks were.. how out of breath he was. the mere thought of it put a smile on your lips. he deserved to be put in his place like that. it felt good.

heimdall acted differently around you than anyone else, and it was obvious. he still retained his obnoxious sense of humor, but he seemed to fluster easier when you were in the room. why was that? was he still embarrassed about losing? you shook the thought out of your mind. he had to be over that by now. it was a shock, and that was fine.. but surely, he had to be over it.

he was a stubborn person. you heard it took plenty of convincing for him to go on the mission to helheim with you, and you weren't surprised. you wished you went with someone else, anyway.

the less time you spent around him, the better it was for you.

he might not have been able to read your intentions like he was with everyone else, but he wasn't stupid. he was odin's pet, and as soon as he noticed your true intentions there was no doubt in your mind that he would report you to him. you would be dead, and heimdall would be victorious. you couldn't let him win. you wouldn't.

atreus sat across from you. you'd been noticing he'd been reaching for his neck more frequently lately— and you noted the absence of the mistletoe that had caused baldur to feel. he had kept it. he said it was a way to remember all he'd been through, but you knew it was more than that. you felt pity for baldur. you knew he did, too. even your father did. it was hard for him to feel bad for someone.

you heard him let out a sigh, and you glanced over at him with pursed lips. "what's got you down?" you decided to ask, leaning back against the uncomfortable wooden framing of the chair. out of the corner of your eye, you saw tyr in the kitchen, his eyes moving across the pages of the book his face was buried in. atreus shrugged, "i don't know." he admitted, finally turning his attention to you. you fell silent, and the house followed suit.

"i miss mom." he told you, breaking through the quiet with his words. you swallowed, "me too." you whispered into the air. you missed her more than anything in the world.

you remembered her hands, the way they used to braid your hair in your youth. you remembered her voice, and how she used to read you to sleep. she did the same to atreus, when he was born. you remembered watching him grow up with her. you were angry at the universe for taking her away so soon. she deserved more.

she was kind. brave. courageous. she was good to the realms, and they were good to her. she was the best person you ever knew. the realms needed more people like her— and she raised you to be that person. she raised atreus in that way, too. the two of you would carry her with you. you promised her that.

the sound of soft sniffing took you out of your thoughts, and you immediately stood from your seat. the floor was slippery. sindri had spent hours mopping earlier in the day, and you could only assume he was doing the same to the second level.

you sat next to your brother, taking both of his hands in yours. they were much bigger than they were years ago, when you were spreading your mother's ashes. the thought of him growing up was always something that had scared you, but he was growing into a mature, kind young man. you were proud of him.

"atreus," you muttered, running your thumbs across the back of his hands. "it's okay to cry." you told him, and all he did was nod. "i cry." you said after a moment, soft laughter escaping from your lips. "i miss her, atreus. more than anything. i always will miss her.. and that's okay." you reassured him. "you're not alone in how you feel. i promise." you squeezed his hands, and he returned the gesture with a small smile. he nodded again, clearing his throat.

"thanks." he took his hands out of yours, using his palms to wipe the tears that fell off of his cheeks. "anytime." you chuckled, a thin lipped smile on your features. you were lucky you had him as your brother.

the sound of brok hammering something from across the room was the only thing that filled your ears, until the familiar sound of the door opening rang through the house.

you looked towards the entrance, and you felt your throat tighten at the sight of your father's silhouette in the doorway. freya entered behind him, but you didn't even pay attention to her. he would be disappointed in you, but you needed to face him. you had to explain everything. he deserved that much.

his eyes softened as soon as they landed on you, and he took long, quick steps to reach you. all you could do was look up at him, and you said nothing. his eyes never left your face. it was almost like he as analyzing you for any sign of injury.

"you are home." his deep baritone spoke out, and you nodded in response. you could see how tense he was— in his shoulders, mostly. "i'm home." you tried to laugh, but nothing came out.

the last time you spoke to him was a disagreement. you left without saying a word.. and yet, he didn't seem angry. at least, not as angry as you expected him to be.

your father only stood in front of you in silence after hearing your response. he nodded, and you heard him take in a shaky breath. "i am glad." he told you, his large hands taking hold of your shoulders. you pressed your lips into a smile, enjoying the feeling of his comforting touch.

he had every right to be upset with you, and he was. you could tell by the look he held in his eyes, but he didn't show it, verbally nor physically. all he did was look down at you, looking as though he was trying to read your mind.

"i'm sorry." you said after a moment of sitting in the comfortable silence he had made. "i know." he replied, and you couldn't help but to feel like a child again— being reprimanded for making a mistake. this was more than a mistake. this was life or death.

"why did you go?" his voice cut you out of your thoughts, and you turned your gaze to him once more. "to see what odin was up to. to feel.. useful."

"you are useful." he said without missing a beat. the confidence he had in you was always something that made your chest tight and your eyes water. "i wanted.. i had to go. i know you're upset with my decision, but it was mine to make."

your father's mouth opened for a split second, then closed once more. "okay." he spoke, and you furrowed your eyebrows. "okay?" you asked, confusion evident in your tone. "it was your decision. i did not.. do not.. agree. i never will. but it was yours." he explained, and you closed your eyes, taking in his words.

he had changed so much over the years. you wondered why. was it your mother's death? the fact that his children were doing nothing but getting older? you remembered how he would be gone for days, weeks at a time in your youth. when he was around, he wasn't really there. his body was.. his mind wasn't.

now— all of him remained at your side. his emotions, thoughts, feelings.. everything was there. he didn't leave. not anymore.

"thank you." you mustered up a response, albeit a mediocre one. he said nothing in acknowledgment to your words. he didn't need to. "rest." he spoke in a whisper, gesturing to the room you had shared with atreus with a nod of his head, and you didn't have the energy to say anything else.

you turned on your heel, and with one last look at your father over your shoulder, you walked into your room. it smelled of fruits— and the smell was a welcoming one. your room in asgard could never compare.. even if this one was a pantry. it was home.

you unsheathed your sword and stared down at it for a moment, thoughts of your time behind asgard's walls flooding your mind. you took off your baldric, resting it on top of a nearby barrel, sitting your weapon down with it.

a sigh escaped your lips as you laid down on the bed. you had plenty to think about, and it was times like this where you wished you could turn off your mind.

you closed your eyes. your head hit the pillow, and you slept.

"watch your step, dear."

your eyes opened, and you found yourself surrounded by forest. the sound of running water rushed into your ears, and your gaze eventually settled on a woman— stood in front of you with a gentle smile.

your mother..

she extended a hand to you, and you took it with no hesitation. this was a memory, and yet you remained older. you were no longer a child. you were close to her height in your dream-like memory. you wished she could see you now.

she squeezed your hand, helping you up the ledge that led up the river. "today.. we fish." your mother stated, letting you walk beside her. she walked closest to the river, as all mothers do to protect their children from falling in. "why?" you asked, and she did nothing but laugh.

"you have to learn to survive." she told you, shrugging her shoulders with a smile. she was always smiling.. always positive. you returned her grin with one of her own, "okay, mama." you whispered through laughter.

you walked in silence for a few minutes, letting the sound of chirping birds and rushing water take over your thoughts, though your eyes never drifted from your mother's form next to you. she never took her hand out of yours, and she rubbed her thumb across the back of it.

"we're here." she said, leading you down and onto the shore of the river. it was relatively far away from your home, and you couldn't help but to wonder what atreus was doing. sleeping.. most likely. children tend to do that.

the dirt underneath your feet felt uncomfortable, the texture of it unwelcome against your skin. your face crinkled in disgust. you heard your mother's laughter. the sound of it was bliss. this moment.. it was, too.

she held onto your spear, and you swallowed looking at it. it looked.. complicated. your mother noticed your worried expression, and rested her hand on your shoulder, her touch reassuring. "i'll teach you everything. don't look so dour." she chuckled, making sure the spear was in working order for you. you could only watch as she did so— amazed by her skills.

"i'll teach you how to make your own." your mother told you. "this one is old. you'll need one." she said, turning her attention away from the spear and onto you. her gaze was gentle, as soft as her touch was. she stepped into the river, shivering at the cold temperature of the water before gesturing for you to join her.

you pursed your lips, and after a deep breath, you stepped in after her. you gasped at the feeling of it on your legs, and your mother laughed at the expression on your face. "you'll get used to it, someday." she told you through her chuckles.

she handed you your own spear, holding her own with her other hand. "you wonder why we're far from home?" she asked, and you nodded. "we needed a good spot.. downstream. the fish will come from this way," she pointed with her hand, "we'll be waiting." she shrugged, looking down at her feet.

you nodded. "in the meantime.." your mother muttered, taking a step towards you. "you don't need to hold it that tight." she rested her free hand on yours, releasing the tension you held in them. "adjust your positioning. you want the strength to make it quick. this way," she moved your hands to the correct spots on the spear, and hummed as she pulled away from you. "good!" she said, cheering for you though you had done nothing to deserve it.

you only rolled your eyes, and she nudged you with her elbow. "oh, here." she noticed a few fish coming downstream, and with one swift movement, she had one on the end of her spear. your mouth fell open. how did she do that? she laughed, seeing the look on your face.

"how did you do that?" you asked, and she turned her head to look at you. "many, many years of practice, my dear. you'll get there."

and you did.

memories flooded your mind, and with each one that passed you got older. you saw more fishing, heard her voice reading to you.. it was bittersweet to see her again. you closed your eyes, letting the sound of her words echo through your mind.

it fell silent, and you blinked a few times, opening your eyes.

you were in your home, and your mother laid in the bed you sat on. this was a few weeks before she died, and she began getting weaker. she was the strongest woman you ever knew— that you ever will know— but seeing her in that way.. it hurt.

"what's on your mind?"you heard her ask, and you pursed your lips. "just thinking, mama." you whispered to her, tucking her hair behind her ear with a smile. "your thoughts are loud." she muttered, leaning into your hand. "i'm sorry."

"don't be." she replied quickly, and you nodded. "what is it.. really?"

"what do i do?"

she raised an eyebrow at your question, but bit at the inside of her cheek. she knew what you meant. what would you do after she was gone?

"you will continue without me. you'll continue being that same strong, intelligent and capable child i raised. that's what you'll do." your mother said to you, resting her hand on top of yours that had sat on the bed next to her. "i don't want to do this without you." you told her, and she nodded.

"i know. but you can.. and you will." she looked into your eyes, and even her gaze looked weaker than before. "it will be hard.. for you, your brother," she paused, her eyes moving towards the door, "your father." she looked at it for a few moments, before returning her attention to you.

"you will grow. you'll make hard decisions.. and you'll have to do them without me," she paused, letting herself smile, "and without your father's opinion."

"you are your own person. you know what to do. what's best for you." she shrugged her shoulders with pursed lips, and you sighed. you said nothing in response to her words, and she lifted her hand to your cheek.

she caressed your skin with her thumb, and smiled up at you. "i love you." she whispered. "i love you too." you replied.

you felt her touch fade from your face, and you subconsciously lifted your hand to where her's was moments before. you were met with nothing, and you shot out of bed. your chest felt tight and your eyes welled with tears at the memory of her. this was the first time you had dreamt of her in a long time.. and her words stuck with you even more now than they did before.

you blinked away your tears, rubbing them away with the palms of your hands. your eyes fell on the sword that sat on the table at the end of your bed, and as you calmed your breathing down, you let yourself think of asgard.

she was telling you something. she wasn't with you physically, but she remained in your heart and soul. you let out a sigh, rubbing your forehead with your thumb and pointer finger.

you would go back to asgard. that was your decision— without her and without your father's input. you thought that was what was best.. so you would do it.

you thought of odin.. of heimdall.

you would avoid him to the best of your ability. you had to. the less time.. the better, you reminded yourself.

you let yourself lie back down, turning your head to look at the opposite side of the room. atreus was asleep in his own bed, and you smiled at the sight of him. he slept so soundly.. his mind at peace. he had a faint grin on his lips. he looked.. happy.

you would protect him, his happiness.

you would protect your father.

you had to.

you knew what you had to do. and you would do it.

you closed your eyes— and welcomed the thoughts of asgard into your mind with open arms.

tags: @s1mpss @gorepitt @orange-celestial @callalillie15 @bluehorizon987 @vanserrar @trippingoverstars @mysiax @rei64bit @neverendingdumptser @m0th4 @a-bunny13 @ss-kimo @candy4bonez @yyourmotherr @blobdrake-theory @zarizee @rainygamingstreamingturtle @kise-kae @aesthetic-of-a-director @httptaegi @nixeustheclamity @aiciteaa @multifand0m-gal0re @mama-bonie @wonderkive @lentillo @luffysoctopus @elizabeth-hatake @black-star1472 @lacm-ac @sxmirae @maggot-baggage @emc2beans @suzumi-hiddenmistclan @engardeitsme @ssauerkraut

#god of war x reader #gow x reader #god of war #gow #god of war heimdall x reader #heimdall gow #gow heimdall x reader #heimdall gow x reader #heimdall x reader

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itsnobodysproblem · 2 months

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Ok so i saw a bunch of people theorising that when they do "the final problem" in Sherlock and Co they might. Uh. Kill Sherlock for real? Which like. Yea they did a lot of the short stories that (in the original books) come after his return from "the dead" but surely that's because everyone's familiar with the earlier stuff right?? And they just wanna. Yk. Shake things up a bit.

Buut it did get me thinking.

I don't really see this Sherlock faking his death. Also, he doesn't really seem to have the love for disguises (=deception?) he has in the books. Also also, it sounds like we're getting the full waterfall experience, which. How do i put this. Falling from a great height into/ next to a waterfall isn't the best plan for faking your death*. It's not something you can have control over. Amd there's probably rocks at the bottom.

*yes i know this is how it happened in the books, shut up

So now you see how I've logic'ed myself into a corner here. I've convinced myself that when he inevitably gets chucked into that waterfall, he won't have any death-faking plans. And he probably won't escape serious injury because.. come on. I'm not saying this podcast is super realistic or something but remember when John punched a guy and he didn't immediately and conveniently pass out? Yea.

So basically what I'm trying to say is i got worried that they're gonna kill Sherlock for real but then realised that sometimes when people are seriously injured they can go into a coma and yes, waking up from one of these after like 2-3 years is. rare. But..

I mean it would be a very different flavour of angst, it has its pros and cons as a writing choice (pro: he's not being a dickhead by not letting his friends know he's alive | con: it takes away his agency/ the fact that he's on a mission), buuut, idk, it might just work? I'd do it, i think. As a writer. Try something new. Idk

.....also come on who fakes their death in the year of our lord 2024. How would you even begin

TLDR: If you think signs point towards Sherlock getting killed for real in The Final Problem, don't worry! Comas exist.

#sherlock and co #the final problem #sherlock holmes #sherlock & co

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asexual-abomination · 2 years

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How Platonic/Familial Yandere Overwatch characters react to you wanting/having a significant other

Howdy! In the wake of my switch not having enough storage to play Overwatch anymore, I’ve finally had the inspiration to write about it!

I definitely intend to write this scenario with other characters, these are just all the ones that I had immediate ideas for, send in an ask if you have a specific character you want in the next one!

As always, (but hopefully not for too much longer 🤞) I have no real academic or professional teaching in writing, so all criticism is welcomed

(Also just a side note for the familial bits - it can be taken as both biological or adopted)

How you enjoy reading!

YanDad!Soldier:76

Nah, not happening.

It's not that he wants to restrict your relationships with people outside of Overwatch, buuut...

If you ever want to bring someone home, he'll greet them warmly with a subtle demonstration of his military experience.

Like straight-up cleaning/putting together his pulse rifle or sharpening his combat knife or, if he can rope another member of the family into it, literally discussing violent battle plans as your potential partner walks in.

If someone is either oblivious enough to not notice or stupid enough to think they can survive your dad's threats, he's prepared to get his hands dirty.

He can and will hunt people down and very directly tell them to fuck off if they want to keep their legs if he doesn't consider them worthy of you.

(Hint: He doesn't think anyone's worthy of you)

The truth is, at the start, he might be a little more receptive to the idea but it won’t last

Even if your partner is the most perfect shining star of a lover ever to exist, he will find or concoct some misdeed and convince himself that they must be eliminated

In short; enjoy it while you can, it’s not gonna last as long as he has something to say about it

“Nah. Tell them you’re breaking up or I will. I’m not letting this scum around my child.”

YanDad!Lucio

He’s surprisingly okay with it!

All he ever wants is for his kiddo to be happy, and if this person makes you happy, then they’re good in his book!

That’s not to say that he won’t be… cautious, though

Can you blame him? This world is full of fucked up things and all he wants is to protect you from those

The idea of his baby being abused or manipulated hurts him deeply, so like a good father he… checks in on you

You went to a cafe? He’s sitting in the corner, wearing a hoodie to hide his face as he glances at you every few seconds

You’re going out to a club or concert? Aw, damn, one of the acts for the night had to call out sick, good thing THE Lucio was in town and willing to do a set for them

You’re going on a peaceful walk through nature? He just happened to be doing a little wildlife watching himself!

He won’t interfere with your dates, if he can help it you won’t even know about his presence most of the time, but he’s always got an eye and ear out for the safety of his kid

“Ooh, h-hey there kid! You look like you’re having fun, yeah? Yeah…” strong side eye to your date all the while

You’ll likely be able to have a pretty fulfilling relationship, even with your helicopter dad, since unless your partner is outright abusive he can keep his mouth shut

Unlike…

YanBro!Lucio

As a brother figure, Lucio’s protectiveness becomes almost possessive

He always wants to monopolise your time and attention, although it’s unintentional

He just cares about you soo soo much!!

To YanBro!Lucio, time spent with you is as valuable as omnium, and even more precious

He gets irritated at the thought of anyone else taking away your time with him, but he won’t show it

He really, really wants you to think he’s cool and chill despite his obsession, so he keeps the worst of his dark feelings under lock and key

But the same doesn’t go for those that would take you away

He’s quite a traditional yandere, in this sense

He’s not afraid to beat up or even kill whatever punk thought they could date HIS sibling

And he’s not shy about it, either!

He won’t tell you about his actions upfront, and if you come to him for comfort when another partner leaves you, he won’t mention his involvement

But if you ever ask him if he had a hand in it, he won’t deny it at all

“Yeah, I took out trash, what’s wrong with that? They didn’t deserve you, sunshine, you oughta know your worth by now!”

YanSis!D.VA

Oh yeah she’s totally cool with it!

Sike

She could not be more upset if she tried

Why do you have to go out and date people when you can stay in and play games with her??

She genuinely does not understand why you’re choosing others over her, and she can get a little petulant over it

And by a little I mean ‘actually throwing tantrums/blocking the door so you can’t leave to go on your date/crocodile tears about how abandoned she feels’

To be fair, this is how she always is when you try to leave the base without her, but she goes the whole nine yards when there’s another person involved

She just wants to be the number one most important person in your life at all times! Is that so much to ask?

And it doesn’t have to be positive attention from you to keep her happy, she’ll tear into your looks, insecurities and deepest secrets that you’ve confided to keep you where you belong; by her side in the family

And don’t think you can just slip past her, she’s definitely buffer than the game makes her out to be and will be willing to use force if push comes to shove

While the others are focused on the significant other, YanSis!D.VA is all about you, you, you.

If this is a group yandere situation (which tbh I always picture it to be) it can almost be a nice balance

The others go off and deal with intruding party, while she stays home and makes sure you’ll regret ever even thinking of dating someone

“Listen, we can do this the easy way, or the hard way. The fact is, your little date’s already dead. So go back to your room and get out of those tacky clothes, and I’ll bring us some energy drinks, mmkay?”

YanBestie!D.VA

Somehow even less okay with it than her sisterly counterpart, if you can imagine

Buuut… she’s a little nicer to you in the long run of it all

Her mindset is more like, I did all this work to get to the number one spot in their life, and some nobody is trying to overtake me?

It brings out more of her competitive side, and since she can’t control you as much as YanSis!D.VA can, she starts taking every comment and action from your partner as a challenge

“Ohh, you went to the arcade together? Did you see who had all the top scores?”

“Oh you took them to a fast food restaurant? Huh, I would have taken them to their actual favourite, and I definitely wouldn’t have made them pay.”

“You bought them a plushie? Aww! You know, they have an entire bed’s worth of plushies that I’ve gotten them over the years.”

It goes on like this for weeks, her trying to convince they’re not good enough, peppered with raising herself up and reminding everyone included that she’s your bestie

No one else gets to have a higher place in your heart

Eventually, she’ll get tired of fighting with you over some extra and she’ll remove them from your life by force

While she’s not above outright killing them, there’s other routes she can go down first, like accusing them of a crime to get them locked up

She’s a valuable military asset and an immensely popular public figure; who are the people gonna believe?

Unlike YanBro!Lucio, she doesn’t accept you crying over the loss, and she’ll even twist things to make you feel like it was your fault

“You know, I was dropping hints for aaages that you shouldn’t have been with them, maybe if you paid more attention to me you could’ve walked away earlier and none of this would’ve happened!”

YanMama!Ashe

Of course you can go on dates, honey! But only as long as BOB can keep an eye on you!

You know that bit in The Lion King where Simba’s mother makes Zazu go with them all the time? Yeah that’s her but with you and BOB

Except it’s much, much harder to escape BOB

Ashe honestly thinks she’s being pretty open and nice about it, letting you date people at all was something she had to take a LOT of time to come to terms with

Your silent chaperone tries his best to not make you uncomfortable, but he can’t exactly hide his massive stature, so whoever you date is just gonna have to be chill with him forever

And by forever, I mean FOREVER - you could be a whole married adult and YanMama!Ashe would still have him checking on you every time you left the house together

Internally, she’ll always be quite conflicted about letting you go around with random partners

She’ll do a lot of wistfully gazing out the window, dramatically sighing as she awaits her child’s return

I honestly picture her a bit hopeless outside of violence and business dealings, and she just doesn’t know how to express the deep sorrow in her heart without making you hate her

She get almost weirdly happy if your partner does something cruel to you, it gives her an excuse to take out some pent-up anger on a nobody

That’s not to say she won’t comfort you; there’ll be lots snuggles and forehead kisses as she reminds you that she’ll always be here for you

She might be crying more than you over the idea of you being hurt

“Don’t worry about a thing, darling! Me and BOB are gonna have this all sorted out, you just sit pretty for us, alright?”

—//—

Thanks for reading!

#autism #platonic yandere #overwatch #overwatch x reader #yandere overwatch #familial yandere #yandere soldier76 #yandere lucio #yandere d.va #yandere ashe #autistic reader

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itsparis-07 · 5 months

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Brooklyn 's sparrow Pt.2 A Saturday walk through park slope~

(Hey ya'll! soooo I know not a lot of people pay mind to this store buuut I wrote this during my free periods today at school, and I'm hoping ya'll like Michiko's story as much I have fun writing it. so as always Stay fresh and please reblog and like! - Paris <3)

Miles Morales and Michiko had been living with Rio Morales, Miles' mother, for two weeks now. They had met under rather unusual circumstances, but their housemates thing had been surprisingly smooth thus far. Today, they were in the kitchen as Rio signed some enrollment papers for Brooklyn Vision Academy, a school that both Miles and Michiko would be attending together. As Rio finished up, she glanced up at the two teenagers and smiled.

"You know, since we're all going to be living together for a while, I thought it might be nice if we all got to know each other better. Why don't you two go out to the corner store and get some groceries for the house? It's gotta been done." Rio handed Miles forty dollars from her wallet. "Here, you can use this. Just make sure to get enough for everyone."

"But Mami! It's saturday and why do I have to take her with me?" Miles protested, folding his arms across his chest. He was starting to feel a bit put-off by the idea of being forced to spend time with Michiko. It wasn't that he didn't like her, it was just that he was used to being on his own.

Rio gave her son a patient smile. "Miles, I know you're used to doing things on your own, but this is a big family now. We're all in this together. And besides," she added, looking over at Michiko, "I think it's a good idea for you two to get to know each other better. Who knows, you might end up being great friends."

Michiko was sitting next to Rio as she Signed on the papers "Michiko Baxter" she smiled shyly and nodded when Rio suggested it was a good idea for them to get to know each other better. She didn't mind it, in fact she was kinda looking forward to it. She turned to Miles and said softly, "I don't mind going with you. It's not a problem…if it's okay with you Ms.Rio?" She tied her sister locs in a bun as she waited for his response.

"Miles, can you walk to the bodega with her? I have to sign the enrollment forms so she can go to school with you." Rio explained, handing him the enrollment papers. "It's the least you can do, Miles. You've been pretty self-sufficient, but you can't just shut everyone out."

"But I was gonna go out with-" Miles began, then stopped himself. He knew it was pointless to argue with his mother. With a sigh, he nodded and looked over at Michiko. "Alright, I guess. Let's go." He took the forty dollars from Rio before leading the way out of the kitchen. As they walked to the corner store, Miles couldn't help but feel a little annoyed. He was used to doing things on his own, and now he had to babysit some girl he barely knew. But as they approached the store, he couldn't help but notice how kinda cute she looked. Her shoulder length locs swayed with the light wind, and her dark skin glowed in the afternoon sun.

"Is there a park near by here? What's this Visions school like? Are the kids nice? Did anybody fight you? Will there be any-" Miles sighed, holding up a hand to stop Michiko's rapid-fire questions. "Look, I know we're just getting to know each other and all, but you don't have to ask me about everything right now." He paused, then added with a small smile, "But I will tell you that there is a pretty sweet skate park not too far from the school. And the kids there are cool. Most of 'em, anyway."

"Skate park?" Michiko asked, eyes lighting up. "I've never been to one before. Do you skateboard?" She'd seen people skateboarding in the city, but never had the chance to try it herself.

"No, Ion really skate like that…but I draw." Miles answered, then paused. "You can come to the park with me sometime and we can watch the skateboarders. They're pretty good." He thought for a moment, then added, "And if you want, we can try it out together." He couldn't believe he was actually offering to show her how to skateboard. Usually he didn't like to teach people, but there was something about Michiko that made him want to help her.

"Cool, the yellow sign over there! There's the store!" Miles pointed at the bodega as they approached it. It was a small, family-owned shop that had been in the neighborhood for generations. The inside was brightly lit, with shelves stacked high with various snacks, drinks, and other items. There was a small refrigerated section at the back where they kept the cold stuff, and a counter where the register was. The owner, an elderly Puerto Rican man named Mr. Sanchez, was sitting on a stool behind the counter, reading a newspaper.

"Hey sandy." Miles said to Mr. Sanchez as they walked up to the row of bagged rice and canned foods of different cultures. He picked up a bag of jasmine rice, green plantains, garlic, oregano, vinegar, paprika, salt, and some pork. he placed it in a basket and walked to the counter. "This should do it." he said, glancing at Michiko, who looked a bit confused.

"Why do we need all this food? is this our dinner?" She asked.

"Yeah, ma's making some pernil and tostones tonight, you'll love it." Miles replied, then looked over at Mr. Sanchez, who nodded at him. "It's my mom's specialty. She learned how to make it when she was living in Puerto Rico." He paused for a moment, then continued, "I'll show you how to cook it sometime if you want. My mom says I'm pretty good at it too."

"Sounds nice, I'd love that!" Michiko replied with a smile. She had always been interested in trying different kinds of foods and cuisines. As they waited for their items to be rung up, she took a closer look at the items in the basket. "What's pernil exactly?" she asked Miles.

"It's basically a slow-roasted pork shoulder," he explained. "My mom does it in a special way, with garlic and oregano and all kinds of stuff. It's really tender and flavorful." Miles glanced over at Mr. Sanchez, who was still busily ringing up their items. "And the tostones are just fried green plantains. They're really good, especially when they're smothered in that garlic sauce my mom makes." He grinned, his eyes lighting up at the thought of the meal.

As they finished paying for their groceries, Miles thanked Mr. Sanchez and they headed out of the store. "So, what do you want to do now?" he asked Michiko as they walked back toward the house. "Do you want to go to the skate park after dinner?"

"That sounds fun. I've never been skateboarding before, but I'd like to try. And I'd love to see you draw too." Michiko replied with a smile. She was really enjoying her day with Miles so far.

As they walked back to the house, they continued chatting about different things. Michiko told Miles about her life as a reaper and telling him she's not the only one wandering New York these days. He was intrigued and listened intently, asking questions and occasionally nodding thoughtfully. They also talked about their favorite movies, music, and hobbies.

By the time they reached the house, the sun was beginning to set, painting the sky in shades of orange and pink. They walked inside to see Rio setting everything in the kitchen for dinner. She greeted them with a warm smile and invited them to wash up before sitting down at the table. As they did so, they could smell the delicious aroma of the pernil and tostones wafting through the air.

Miles led Michiko into the living room, where they sat down on the couch. "Thanks, Mom. It smells amazing in here," he said, taking a deep breath. They exchanged small talk while they waited for dinner to be ready, commenting on the artwork on the walls and sharing stories about their favorite memories in the house. Rio eventually called them to the table, and they all gathered around in the cozy kitchen. The pernil was perfectly tender and flavorful, with a hint of garlic and oregano that lingered on the tongue. The tostones were crispy on the outside and soft on the inside, making the perfect accompaniment to the pork. Throughout dinner, Rio regaled them with stories of her time living in Puerto Rico and how she had learned to cook such delicious food. Michiko, eager to learn more, asked Rio if she could teach her some of her recipes as well. Rio smiled warmly and assured her that she would be more than happy to. After dinner, they helped clean up the kitchen together, chatting amiably as they worked. Once everything was put away, Miles suggested they go to the skate park as planned. He grabbed his skateboard and offered Michiko one of his old ones, which she happily accepted. They said goodbye to Rio and headed out the door, ready for an evening of skateboarding and maybe even some drawing practice at a nearby park bench.

As they walked to the skate park, Michiko couldn't help but feel a sense of contentment wash over her. It was refreshing to spend time with someone like Miles, who was so open-minded and accepting of her unique background. She found herself telling him more about her life as a reaper, feeling comfortable in his presence. He listened intently and asked thoughtful questions, never once making her feel like she was strange or different. They spent several hours at the skate park, laughing, falling, and cheering each other on. Miles' drawings were impressive, capturing the movement and energy of the skateboarders around them with ease. Michiko, on the other hand, was self-conscious at first but eventually found her rhythm, sketching the scene around her with growing confidence.

As they walked home she stretched her beautiful black gold wings, letting out a sigh of relief. Miles was unaware of her other life, and she wanted to keep it that way. The sun was beginning t set, casting a warm glow over the city. They stopped at a nearby park bench, and Miles offered to teach her how to ride the skateboard. He showed her the basics, and she quickly picked them up. It was thrilling, and she felt a sense of freedom she hadn't experienced in a long time. They spent the rest of the evening skating and laughing together. Miles' drawings continued to impress her, and she encouraged him to pursue his passion. He seemed genuinely grateful for her support.

"You know I think I'm gonna love Brooklyn, but do you think I'm ready for High school? I mean if it's anything like on Tv, I think I need to stay home." Michiko asked as they walked through the park. Miles smiled at her and said, "You'll be fine, you'll have me to help you through it. And besides, there's always the library if you ever need a break from the crazy." They continued to walk and talk about their hopes and dreams for the future. Miles wanted to be a professional skateboarder and maybe even open up his own skate shop one day. Michiko wasn't sure what she wanted to do yet, but she knew she wanted to keep drawing and exploring her talent.

To be cont!!!

#paris<3 #earth 42 miles x reader #miles morales x reader #earth 42 miles morales x black!reader #miles morales x black!reader

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willpapilio · 6 months

Text

Punative Feast

Oh my god, he writes his own shit! Here's a little story I wrote, it's mostly just worldbuilding stuff from a project I was working on for a while. If it doesn't make sense, I didn't do a good job of explaining things. It focuses on a couple important people, one of which I already wrote about, and his secretary.

Ifrinn was walking around his office, aimlessly. In truth, there was much he could have been doing, but writing his signature on paper for most of the day rapidly gets dull. He had managed to get through most of the work, but of course, there's always more to be done. In theory, he should have been signing off on building permissions, birth certificates and crime reports. Instead, he was pacing around the office, putting dust lice down on shelves, in corners, and anywhere else they could get a good meal.

It was always quite relaxing, watching the scuttly little things doing their work, leaving shiny tracks through thin dust. Ifrinn was so entranced by the display he only just registered the sound of the elevator ascending up the shaft. Milis was coming up, and Ifrinn practically vaulted over his desk to maintain some illusion of dignity.

When the moth arrived at the top floor, Ifrinn was dutifully signing papers at his desk, as if he weren't slacking off mere seconds ago. In Milis' hands was another small stack of papers. When delivering messages to the Lord, many people rely on the employ of carrier bugs to deliver messages straight to Ifrinn, which he sends back from their roosts atop Erus Tower once he has signed off or replied. Owing to their refined sense of smell, they almost never get lost, and their flight makes them highly efficient couriers. However, most people, and anyone with a large stack of messages, hand-delivers them to Milis on the ground floor, who shortly brings them up to Ifrinn. The papers she held today were, no doubt, much the same, because the work is simply not allowed to end.

"What brings you up today, Milis?" Ifrinn asked, barely looking up from his work.

"Looks like..." She started flicking through the papers. "They'd like to open a library in the Coleopteran District," she offered.

"Well, that's pleasant."

"Buuut it looks like they want to build it over a cemetery."

"Oh."

“And it seems that an aqueduct in the Dipteran District has been repaired, they'd like you to have a look."

"Knowing full well that I trust them entirely and neither want nor need to go, of course."

"And..." Milis paused to read the letter. "You've been invited to dinner by the Mantitaean Tumarch!"

Ifrinn gagged upon hearing this, and quickly composed himself. "Does it say anything about an alternative menu?"

Milis skimmed through, looking for that phrase and nothing more. "Uhhhhhyes! Yes it does. Here, first page," she said, handing it to him, "Maybe you should have a look."

"Thank you." Ifrinn held the letter in front of him, trying his best to read the requisite Tumarch cursive. Ifrinn sighed, "Well, I suppose I ought to. I can't well refuse four times in a row, they might bother a fifth time," he moaned, throwing the letter to the side casually.

"What's so bad about dinner?" Milis asked, carefully adding the new papers to the stack on his desk. "Maybe I'm missing something, but free food is a good thing where I come from."

"I'm afraid you're missing something indeed," Ifrinn explained. "What do you know about the Mantidae?"

"Um... About as much as you might expect a moth to know."

"This isn't a regular dinner. It is a Punitive Feast."

"Punishment for dinner?"

"Dinner for punishment," he corrected. "The Mantidae, according to traditions dating back to before the creation of Insecta, when the species were still separate tribes, practice ritualistic cannibalism."

The room was silent for a moment.

"It's... People, they want you to eat people?" Milis snatched the letter from Ifrinn's unresisting hands.

"Well, only one person," he laughed.

"Oh yeah, that makes it entirely ok, sure." She set the letter down on Ifrinn's desk, somehow more pale in the face than usual.

"I get the distinct impression that it's not ok."

"There's probably a reason for that, yeah."

Ifrinn stood up from the desk and looked out of the circular window behind, arms clasped behind his back. The Erus Tower's most striking feature is that it slowly, ever so slowly, rotates. It takes a full eight days for the tower to finish its spin, and as luck would have it, Ifrinn's window was overlooking the Mandidae District.

"I'll probably go."

Milis walked up beside him, and leaned on the railing in front of the window.

"I know that the Lord should take great effort to understand his people, but I'm not sure how necessary it is to know how they taste," she laughed.

"I couldn't agree more, which is why I asked about the alternative menu. Macabre as it is, it's not a tradition that can easily be excised, hence I am obliged to abide by its existence. That doesn't mean I am obliged to partake, however."

"And it's not going to bother you that there's just gonna be a dead guy on the table?"

"It wouldn't be the first time I've seen a corpse," Ifrinn said, flatly.

"But for dinner? At the table?" Milis asked, head tilted knowingly.

"Point taken. On a related note, would you accompany me?"

"Eh?"

"For dinner," Ifrinn clarified. "The option to not partake of Mantidaean flesh extends to you, of course."

"Uh, sure?"

"You don't sound very certain."

"N-no, it's just surprising is all. I'd be happy to go with you," Milis smiled.

The feast wasn't for a few days, which gave the two plenty of time to get their affairs in order, of which there were few. Insectan clothing is more often than not limited to armour for venturing into the Underweb or outside of the wall, most Insectans live their entire lives without so much as touching a robe. Most Insectans have large wings, so it's rather challenging to create an article of clothing that isn't needlessly restrictive or uncomfortable, and the climate of the city is mostly mild, further removing the necessity of any covering besides one's own chitin. That said, both Ifrinn and Milis thought it best to at least put in some effort for the night.

Ifrinn did some digging in his seldom-used chambers, and managed to dig up a pair of pauldrons he hadn't worn since his first speech as Lord, having decided they were about as comfortable as they were practical: Not. They were, however, quite eye-catching; from two iridescent pads, made from the treated shell of an ancient earthlouse, curtains of black cloth that almost reached the floor flowed. The soft fabric was hemmed with gold thread, and woven with eight delicate tapestries depicting a small landscape of each District. The curtains covered his arms like a blanket, but didn't so much as touch his wings. Seeing himself in it, he thought he ought to wear it more than he did. It still wasn't particularly comfortable, but it certainly looked "lordly".

Milis, however, didn't possess any regal hand-me-downs. She brought up a letter to Ifrinn's office, asking for a day off so that she could buy something nice to wear. He brought the letter back down the same hour to remind her that she could more or less just go whenever she wanted. A relatively quick journey on a millipede cart took her home to the Lepidopteran District; she felt something nice and silken would be appropriate. Eventually, she managed to settle on a delicate waistcloth, cascading over her legs and almost entirely covering up her posterior abdomen, secured around her middle with an ornate silver pin. Milis admired the garment in the shop's mirror, how light and floaty the fabric was, until she realised that it looked a little bit like a lesser slug, at which she stopped looking in the mirror. She still bought it, though.

The last uneventful day passed, and the day of the Feast finally bothered to show up. Ifrinn had rented a millipede cart just for the two of them, after much confused back-and-forth about payment exemption. He didn't understand why people seemed so eager to refuse his money, but he did eventually walk away with an empty wallet. The carriage driver, an Odonatan, waited as patiently as a dragonfly could outside Erus Tower.

"Good morning sir!" He cheerily chirped to the Lord, "And good morning ma'am! Ready to hit the road?"

"At long last, yes," Ifrinn answered as he and his attaché approached the cart.

Normally, millipede carriages can hold a number of carts at once owing to the length of the beast, so that it might carry as many people as possible at once. However, being rented privately the carriage today only had the one cart, plus a segment for the driver, of course. The millipede runs underneath the carts, which are strapped to its back, and rest against the ground on wheels attached to legs on each corner of the cart, to bear the weight of the passengers. The cart was open-roofed, chosen for the price and for the good weather. The morning sun beaming down would lend itself nicely to a relaxing journey to the Feast.

Ifrinn hopped up onto the platform with a beat of his wings, with Milis following shortly behind. They sat on opposite sides on velvety benches, and with a blowing of a whistle the millipede started to run.

Insecta is believed to have originally been planned around the creation of the grand aqueducts, with the architecture of each district bending and moulding around them. Records have long since been lost of course, but the aqueducts cut through the city like a web, which is visible on most any map. This does, however, mean that fast, public and private transport was more of an afterthought. Around the pillars of the great aqueducts, and along the inside of newer roads, are the myriaways, sections of the pavements used specifically for carriages, which are driven on the left side, of course. The myriaways are crossed by pedestrians over bridges, and are embarked and disembarked on platforms, normally, save for private functions and the like. Today, naturally, the millipede will split off from the myriaway so that it can be safely disembarked at the Mantidean Tumarch's doorstep.

The unmistakable pitter-patter of millipede legs on the road drowned out most of the sounds of the city around them, muffled by a constant rhythm of not-quite-one-thousand footfalls. Shopfronts and houses were little more than smudges unless you focused, which Ifrinn had mastered the art of not doing, lest he strain his eyes. Milis, either less able to turn off her eyes or of a less delicate constitution was eagerly drinking in every ephemeral sight she could, the edges of the blurry tapestry sharpening and dulling in milliseconds as her eyes darted hither and thither.

"Bountiful Sun, I don't think I've ever been down this way before!" she said in awe.

"The Consociat District is too often overlooked, I feel," said Ifrinn, almost regretful. "Not long ago we passed the Thorn District, believe it or not."

"The who?"

"Never mind, a story for another time. We're almost out of the Consociat, now," he added, changing the subject quickly.

With one more turn down the myriaway, the busy wall-like streets gave way to an open circus, the internal walls of the Districts mocking the pedestrians and passengers with their monolithic stature. The great gates of the eight Districts remain more-or-less permanently open, but for most Insectans this does little to make them feel more welcome. The carriage continued its march toward the Mantidean district, through a set of giant doors tinted a dark, secretive green. Passing through the gates felt like travelling to another planet, as the architecture starkly changed from fungaltimber and plaster to sheer walls of giant brick and twisting spires. The carriage slowed down to a crawl, the driver making sure to respect the strictly enforced speed limit.

Prying eyes watched from every angle, monitoring the Lord's party and each other; in the Mantidean District, nobody was spared from following the social mores on which society balanced. This District was rather quiet, as one may imagine, keeping your voice down was paramount here. Only the sounds of the millipede's footfalls registered on Milis and Ifrinn's ears.

Milis took note of the relative silence immediately: Having lived within the busy Consociat District for the last few years had left her accustomed to the nigh constant talking and shouting of the outside world. Seeing Ifrinn, evidently unbothered by the drastic shift in mood, did little to ease her nerves. It felt as if one were visiting a new world upon entering the gates, sure, but it was upon hearing the silence that it became apparent how alien this District could feel.

With time-earned precision, the Dragonfly at the carriage's helm navigated the twisting paths of the ever-quiet District. It wouldn't be long until they arrived at the Tumarch's doorstep, now. The driver kept his eyes firmly on the road ahead, suppressing his natural instinct to make small-talk, lest he cause a scene and embarrass the very master of the city, not to mention draw the ire of the inhabitants of this District.

"Ifrinn," Milis whispered.

"Hmm?"

"Why is it so quiet?"

"The Mantidean culture is strict adherence to customs," he explained, no louder than a breeze, "It is unacceptable to be inappropriately loud, therefore the Mantidae are quiet. It follows that we must be, too."

"Merciful Moon, is there anything else I should know?" Milis asked, almost begging for guidance.

"Just be polite," Ifrinn said softly, "As polite as you can possibly be. They demand compliance, but they know that outsiders won't be so well versed."

The carriage stopped abruptly. "We're here," said the driver, being careful not to shout. Now that the cart had stopped, the millipede standing motionless, the air was now truly deathly still.

Ifrinn stood up, bowed to the driver, and hopped off of the platform onto the pavement below. Milis replicated his gesturing, following his example as gospel. While the driver explained to Ifrinn where he would be waiting for the two of them, Milis took in the spectacle that was the Tumarch's Palace. The cubiform bastion stood stalwart in the centre of the District, foreboding and mighty, towering well above the rest of the buildings and towers here. Four spires jutted out of each corner of the palace, topping it with a simple yet intimidating crown. It looked more like the head of a warhammer, or perhaps a cruel judge's gavel, than a castle.

She jumped a little when Ifrinn tapped her on the shoulder, utterly entranced by the fortress before her. "It's time, Milis," he said, walking ahead.

"Right! Right..."

The atmosphere around the building was heavy, like something was pulling down on the pair's shoulders as they approached the palace. Walking up the cold, stone steps, drawing nearer the doors, the feeling of dread grew heavier and heavier still. Milis was close to losing her nerve, and Ifrinn wasn't faring much better, gritting his chelicerae together to steel himself. Suddenly, the doors creaked open, and the two stopped dead in their tracks. A small mantis stood in the door frame, looking rather unintimidating.

"Welcome, Lord Ifrinn," she said, bowing deeply, "Your arrival was anticipated, and your punctuality is appreciated."

"The pleasure is mine. Thank you for opening the door for us."

Milis smiled, deciding to not risk talking.

"Please, follow me to the dining hall. The Tumarch is waiting for you there."

"Thank you. Please, lead on."

Ifrinn and Milis were ushered inside, but were suddenly stopped again by the mantis.

"Ah, my sincere apologies, I forgot to mention; it would be greatly appreciated if you were to sign the visitor's book, especially your companion," she explained.

"You are forgiven, we would be happy to sign in," said Ifrinn.

"Yeah, no worries!" Milis added with a smile.

Apparently, she failed to read the room correctly, as the mantis scowled at her. She disappeared to retrieve the visitor's book, allowing Ifrinn and Milis a second to appreciate the atrium of the Palace. It was, as one may expect, brutal in construction. Angular stone pillars held up the sky-light ceiling, and a staircase in front of the main entrance led up to the first floor. Even a simple rug would have brought a sense of warmth to the almost crypt-like castle, but the only creature comforts to be found within were the leafy potted plants in the corners, admittedly well cared-for.

The mantis returned with a large book, held in her double-jointed arms as if she were a living lecturn. Milis wondered for a second if she might have had help picking up the book.

"Sign in on this page, please: Full name, occupation, date and time, in that order," she ordered.

Ifrinn thought she was remarkably authoritative for such a small bug, and Milis had a similar idea in much less kind language. A small pen was attached to the spine of the book by a thin string, and Ifrinn signed in for the two of them:

Ifrinn Papil, Lord of Insecta, 32nd of Spider's March, Fifth Light's middle.

Milis Esole, Secretary to the Lord, 32nd of Spider’s March, Fifth Light’s middle.

The mantis shut the book, almost dropping it in the process. She bowed to Ifrinn, and walked away again. Once she returned bookless, she pointed up the stairs; “The dining hall is this way.” She marched up the stairs, Ifrinn and Milis in tow. Continuing down a similarly austere hallway, the trio eventually came to a large set of doors, which the mantis opened for them. Holding the door open, she took a deep bow, to signal them through.

The hall was surprisingly ornate, at least compared to the rest of the castle. The walls were still little more than pillared stone faces, however in the spaces between the pillars great tapestries were hung, depicting scenes of noble Mantideans from days gone by. The room was lit by a massive chandelier, covered in small, luminous crystals looted from Insecta’s Underweb. The floor was a chessboard pattern of large tiles, polished to a reflective sheen. At the centre of the dining hall was a large, U-shaped table, with a small, circular table contained within its cup. The smaller table was empty except for a white cloth, and the U-shaped table was set with typical Mantidean tableware at each of the twelve seats: Napkins, small bowls of water, cups, and pairs of meat shears. The Tumarch, Patriarch Beraht and Matriarch Linza, were sat at the bow of the table, furthest away from Ifrinn and Milis. Upon seeing their esteemed guests, the Tumarch stood up, and bowed respectfully.

“Lord Ifrinn, it is good to see you,” said Beraht, walking over to Ifrinn. “I trust you are keeping well?”

“As well as one may be,” he said with a smile and a shallow bow.

“And who might this be?” Linza asked, clearly half-interested.

Milis glanced at Ifrinn, expecting him to reply for her. He nudged her with his elbow, shocking her back to autonomy. “Ah! My name is Milis, I’m Ifrinn’s secretary.” Linza, Beraht and Ifrinn stared at her expectantly. Milis’ eyes widened in panic before she gave a small curtsey.

Linza huffed, then said; “Well, Ifrinn, I’m glad you invited a plus one to this occasion,” trying to distract herself from Milis’ appalling manners.

“Of course. If given the chance, why would one not bring their most trusted friend?”

Linza rolled her eyes and walked back to her seat.

“Ah, please, follow me, my Lord. And our guest,” Beraht said with a friendly smile. The Patriarch quickly paced to his wife, and Ifrinn and Milis followed behind at a leisurely pace.

“She’s a little…” Milis whispered, “Mean?”

“Don’t take it personally,” Ifrinn whispered back, “Linza is especially easily upset. Plus, it doesn’t help her mood that I killed her ex-husband.”

Milis stared wide-eyed in shock at the smugly-smiling Ifrinn, before they took their seats beside the Tumarch. Milis sat to Ifrinn’s left, Ifrinn to Beraht’s left, and Linza beside Beraht. Despite the table being set for twelve, only the four of them were present so far. Before anyone got too twitchy, another mantis, a servant, arrived with a large, green-glazed clay bottle.

“May I offer you and your guests some wine, venerable Tumarch?” he asked, offering the bottle label-first to the Tumarch.

“You may, and please, what can you tell us about this wine?” Beraht asked.

“This one was bottled fifty years ago,” the servant replied, “In the Odonatan District. It’s a full-bodied, dark wine, best paired with rich, fatty meat. The sommelier personally recommended it for tonight.”

“Perfect, by my reckoning,” Linza commented, “Thank you, deiner.”

The servant stepped back and after placing the bottle on the ground, carefully removed the plug with a resonant pop. One by one, the party leaned aside for the servant to fill their cups. The deep, brownish liquid filled Milis’ nostrils with a pungent, burning smell, and she wondered for a moment if there was perhaps a mixup between the wine cellar and the cleaning room.

The Patriarch raised his cup, and offered a “Cheers,” to the party, who all raised their glasses in kind. Milis took an experimental sip, and almost spat it right back up. She managed to restrain herself, and forced the ghastly fluid down her throat.

"S-sorry, just cho- *cough* choking a little," she managed to spit out with a cough and a sputter.

Beraht chuckled and Linza scoffed at Milis' attempts. Ifrinn patted her on the back. "It's an acquired taste," he muttered, knowingly.

The door across the room opened up, the same mantis who greeted them propping it open, bowing. One by one, more guests entered the hall. The first among them was the Arachnidaean Tumarch: Patriarch Prokhor 'Sekarik' and Matriarch Evpraksiya 'Kuruurk'. Ifrinn wasn't too surprised to see them, knowing their penchant for exotic dining. What was surprising was the sheer quantity of people he did not recognise. There was another Mantidean, who Ifrinn took to be Leutgar, the Patriarch's brother, but the remaining Insectans were a mystery to him. The Coleopteran, the Acri Hymenopteran and the other Mantideans remained nameless, which meant a slew of introductions for Ifrinn to stomach.

The Tumarch stood up, and Ifrinn shortly followed. "Ah, please, my Lord," Beraht said, while his wife left him in the dust, "Trouble not yourself with such pleasantries. Stay seated, they shall follow."

"Nonsense. My people are my equals: If they are to stand, so am I."

Milis stood up as well, trying her best to catch up on all the intricacies of Mantidean manners.

"We're saying hi?" she asked Ifrinn.

"We're saying hi, loath as I am to do so," he sighed.

Reluctantly, the two approached the small crowd of allegedly important Insectans. Almost dazed by the sight of so much silk and shiny metals, Milis turned to Ifrinn for social guidance, only to find he had been swept away in the sea of mingling, leaving her to swim alone.

Ifrinn, ever the socialite, went directly for the only people he recognised, the Arachnidan Tumarch.

"Patriarch, Matriarch, always a pleasure," he said with a bow.

"Please, my Lord, you know our names," Prokhor assured.

"And yet my linguistic talents fail me," replied Ifrinn, to an understanding chuckle.

"It's good to see you, my Lord, though I must admit I am surprised," Evpraksiya mentioned, "I haven't seen you at one of these dinners before, have I?"

"No, you've not, you're quite right. It took me some time to work up the stomach, I'm ashamed to admit," Ifrinn explained, shamelessly.

"Well, they're hardly for everyone, are they my love?" Evpraksiya asked Prokhor.

"No, one should think not. Prey's prey in my mind, though," the Patriarch laughed, "Whether a hunter catches it or a judge."

Milis, however, was left rather beside herself. That was, of course, until social obligations kicked in, and the unfamiliar beetle approached her.

"Greetings, noble one," she said, bowing deeply, "To whom do I owe the pleasure?"

"Uh, hi!" Milis managed with a curtsey. "My name's Milis, I'm Ifrinn's secretary."

"A privilage to meet you, Milis. Gytha, Master Leutgar's... Assistant."

A quick glance at the beetle told Milis all she needed to know. She was an impassable wall of chipped, topaz carapace and powerful muscle, and she was, notably, the only person in attendance with a weapon; a flanged cudgel, tied to her hip. 'Assistant' was merely a soft way of saying bodyguard. Or enforcer.

"The privilege is mine, I'm sure."

"Gytha," a mantis, draped in blackened silk, called, "You were asked to leave your proclivities at home. You're here on business, remember?"

"Of course, Master. I was merely introducing myself to another guest," she said, winking conspicuously at Milis. "I didn't realise you had forbidden me from doing so."

Leutgar scoffed, and joined the conversation with the rest of the Mantises, who had congregated into a little circle.

"Ignore him," she said, "I always manage."

Gytha left Milis' side to return to Leutgar, being his guard forced certain expectations upon her, it seemed. Milis heard her name called, and looked around to see Ifrinn beckoning her over. She scurried over quickly to see what he needed.

"What's up?"

"The Tumarch was asking about the library. Given that it's your kingdom, I thought it best for you to explain."

"O-oh! I'd be happy to, your Highnesses."

As Milis began discussing her duties as Librarian of Erus tower to the curious Tumarch, Ifrinn quietly slipped off to poke his nose into another conversation. Leutgar and Gytha had left the conversation with the mantis and the wasp, which Ifrinn took as an invitation.

"Greetings, my lord," said the wasp.

"It is good to see you, Lord Ifrinn," the mantis offered, extending her hand to Ifrinn. "I'm glad you decided to come."

"Of course." Ifrinn stared at the mantis' outstretched hand. "Apologies, I'm afraid contact is beyond me."

"Ah, of course, my Lord." The mantis retracted her hand.

"I must apologise again, I didn't see your names in the guest book. What might your names be?"

"My name is Noemi, Director of Gilthand Bank," the mantis said, half extending a hand before thinking better of it.

"Juste, Noemi's personal guard," the wasp grumbled.

"Pleasure to meet the two of you. Forgive me, but I must say that I'm surprised to see a Hymenopteran in your employ.

"You are forgiven. And yes, so I'm told," Noemi sighed, "But he was highly recommended."

Juste nodded, smiling a little.

"I mean no disrespect, of course. You must imagine my delight, seeing the tribes mingle."

"Of course, my Lord," Juste assured, "Not all Insectans are so reluctant to mix."

"And that, that is what brings me hope," Ifrinn said beaming.

Ifrinn allowed himself a moment of pride, before rescuing the conversation from certain death. "So, honourable Director, I take it you must be close to the Tumarch?"

"Oh yes, my Lord, very close indeed. I've known Linza since we were just girls."

"Quite the time, I imagine."

Noemi hummed in agreement. "It's funny how things change. It feels like only a day ago we were in school, and now I run a bank and she runs a whole district!"

"Time does as time does, it seems," Ifrinn chuckled, bittersweet. He noticed that Juste was idly inspecting his fingers, and decided to invite him into the so far exclusive conversation: "How long have you been working for Noemi, Juste?"

"About a halo, now," he said, bluntly.

"I see, and what about before? What sort of work did you do then?"

"I was the personal guard of the Hymenopteran Tumarch."

"Truly?" Ifrinn asked, incredulous, "I can't for the life of me remember seeing you around, my apologies."

"No need to apologise. I was hardly a public figure, that I slipped your mind only means whatever meetings you attended were important."

Milis was just discussing a book, 'The Rolling City", with Evpraksiya, when two more guests, the mantises, joined the fold. These mantises wore white, embroidered scarfs, secured with an iron pin in the shape of weighing scales.

"Greetings, your highnesses," said one of the mantises, "And you, Ifrinn's… consort?"

"C-con-WHAT?" Milis sputtered, “I think you, you’re… Ifrinn and I, we’re not…”

“I think, honoured guest, that you have assumed incorrectly,” Evpraksiya interrupted, “And have rather put the good madam on the spot.”

“I meant no offense,” he pled, “I should not have guessed. Please accept my humble apologies, the good madam…?” His apology trailed off into a question.

“The good madam Milis,” she replied, still flustered, “And I accept your apology.”

“Thank you, Milis. Please, allow me to introduce myself and my comrade, as to move past my folly.”

Milis patiently waited for the mantis to continue, and stared in confusion when he did not. Prokhor nudged her and raised his brow, as if to tell her to continue.

“Oh! Yes, you may introduce yourself.”

“My name,” he said, as if he weren’t trapped in silent supplication for a solid ten seconds, “Is Hüter Guntram, and my comrade is Hüter Lamprecht.” The other mantis, who had kept perfectly silent, gave a respectful nod. “It is us who are responsible for today’s feast.”

Prokhor and Evpraksiya quietly excused themselves, having seen Beraht beckon them over, leaving Milis alone with the cannibal constables.

“Pleased to meet you, Hüter,” Milis lied, extending a hand. Guntram eagerly accepted, shaking her hand with a firm grip. She offered her hand to Lamprecht, who might have cut her hand off with the strength of his digits.

“So,” Milis began, dreading the answer to the question that had been brewing for days, “Who…” she gestured outward, confused hands struggling to compensate for words she couldn’t find.

“The main course?” Lamprecht asked, with a voice like heavy footsteps in a crypt.

“...Yeah.”

“The one awaiting punishment was named Burkhard Leva,” he Guntram answered, solemnly. “For the crime of murder, with blatant disregard for the sanctity of the law, he was sentenced to death; execution by evisceration.”

Milis’ haemolymph ran cold. “Oh.” The nature of today’s feast suddenly dawned on her. It was an event she was nervously anticipating for the last few days, but hearing the words spill like lymph out of his mouth tied her stomach into a slip knot.

“It was Lamprecht and I who managed to apprehend the one awaiting punishment, brought him to the guard house in shackles ourselves,” Guntram said, beaming with pride.

“M-my apologies, could you repeat that for me? The one awaiting…?”

“Awaiting punishment?”

“Yeah, so he’s…?”

“Alive?” Guntram and Lamprecht laughed, “Of course he’s alive, madam,” Guntram explained, “If he were executed when he was sentenced the meat would have gone bad by now!”

The guards chuckled at a party-appropriate volume at Burkhard’s misfortune, and only just heard Milis mutter out an excuse before she quickly walked away. Past the Mantidean Tumarch and the Patriarch’s brother, past Ifrinn and Noemi, and back out the way she came in. She disappeared in a matter of moments, and was out of the palace’s front door even faster. She skittered down the steep stone steps as fast as she could manage without stumbling over, and to her fortune found a convenient little alleyway opposite the palace.

Milis booked it to the alley, managing to keep her composure long enough to not vomit in the middle of the road. Doing so is generally frowned upon, of course. She took a minute to just stand there, leaning on the wall and catching her breath. The acrid stench of the inside of her stomach did little to distract her from the reality of the feast. With great effort she pushed herself back standing by herself, still hunched over in revulsion, exhaustion and fear. She managed to straighten up, and was met with the sight of the Lord of Insecta.

“AH! Damnable fucking Sun, Ifrinn!” she shouted, “Ho-ly… I-I’m sorry…” Milis leaned up against the wall, clutching at her heart.

“There’s no cause for apology,” Ifrinn said, softly.

“For running out like a coward?”

Ifrinn sighed and walked deeper into the alleyway, standing beside Milis against the wall. “I’m going to assume that you are fortunate enough to not have seen a corpse before.”

Milis winced, but managed to grumble out a “Yes”.

“It’s only natural, then, that you guided yourself away from such a grim event.”

“Ifrinn?”

“Yes?”

“You… you’d never-”

“No,” Ifrinn interrupted. “Not as long as I live.”

They stood in silence for a time, trying to figure out the words to say.

“Can’t you make them stop?” Milis pleaded, “You’re the Lord for crying out loud, surely you can put a stop to this?”

“Were it so easy, I would have done so long ago.” Ifrinn looked up, thinking deeply. “This kind of event is at the heart of Mantidean society. To take a stab at it would be to take a stab at their heart. As I told you before, it’s not something I can ablate, wish though I may.”

“Then why did we come, anyway? You’ve refused them before, haven’t you?”

“To the Tumarch’s increasing disappointment. If I had continued to refuse them, they might have started to believe, rightly so, that I find their traditions disgusting. My purpose is, ultimately, to improve Insecta for the better,” he explained, placing a hand on Milis’ shoulder, “But I can only do that if my people trust me.”

“How… how many bodies have you seen?” she asked, teary-eyed.

“By my count, more than zero is too many for one life. I murdered the last Lord with my own two hands, and watched those closest to me die myself.” Ifrinn looked away from Milis. “Too many. Far too many. If you meant to ask if the sight of death becomes more tolerable, it does not.”

Milis looked back at the palace. Without looking back, she asked; “Was that Linza’s husband? The old Lord?”

“Indeed. He was even less pleasant than Linza.” He chuckled quietly and Milis let out an amused huff, before her expression faded. “You don’t need to stay,” said Ifrinn. “I understand all of this is too much for you. Merciful Moon, it’s almost too much for me. You can take the carriage back home, and I’ll return later.”

“Why did you invite me, Ifrinn? You didn’t really think that I’d be able to stomach this, right?” she asked, half-laughing.

“Shortsighted selfishness.”

Milis tilted her head in confusion.

“I think the point is clear by now that this feast is an abomination to me. I felt as though a comforting presence would go some way to ease my nerves.”

Milis looked at Ifrinn wide-eyed; “O-oh.”

Ifrinn walked past her. “I’ll be expected back. Retreat is not an option for me, unfortunately. The offer stands, however.” He turned back around to Milis. “I appreciate your company, but you’re not obliged to stay.”

She stared for a moment at Ifrinn as he walked straight back into the wretched palace but something inside of her told her to follow, and within moments Milis’ legs were moving on their own.

“I might not be the Lord,” she said, “But I am his assistant. It would reflect badly on both of us, were I to abandon you.”

“Spoken like a politician,” he laughed. “Thank you, Milis. I told the Tumarch that you had gone to get some air, so don’t worry about explaining yourself.”

Soon, they found themselves back inside the dining hall. Guntram, Lamprecht, Noemi and Juste were already sitting at the table, and the other guests were walking to their seats. The Arachnidaean Tumarch were taking their seats at the end of the table, opposite the more impatient guests. Beraht and Linza were watching the door expectantly. The Mantidean Patriarch excitedly paced to Ifrinn and Milis, as the Matriarch made herself comfortable at the head of the table.

“Ah, you’re back. Just in time for the main event,” Beraht said, smiling, “And rest assured, my Lord, the alternative dish shall be just as exquisite as the centerpiece.”

“Thank you, Patriarch,” said Ifrinn, “We look forward to it.”

The remaining diners took their seats, patiently, impatiently and stressfully. Milis took a degree of comfort in noticing Ifrinn bouncing his leg. Suddenly, one of the doors behind them, opposite the way they came in, blew open. Beraht and Linza did not turn around, but that did nothing to stop the other morbidly curious guests. Four servants, wearing white clay masks, carried something under a pale cloth like pallbearers. Another mask-clad mantis, in front of them, led their march, and a sixth behind pushed a cart, stacked with plates and other assorted implements.

The grim parade circled around the U-shaped table, passing along counter-clockwise. The sweet, salty smell of perfectly braised meat filled the guests' noses, to a chorus of expectant ‘oo’s and ‘aa’s. The leader of the pack led the pallbearers to the central table, and signalled for his followers to lay down the mass onto it. The cart stopped just short of the table, and one by one the four pallbearers carried a plate to each guest.

The plates were stacked with an assortment of roasted dirt apples and pastinacas, and dauci braised in salty louse fat. All of the vegetables were served with gravy, made with the same juices the dauci were cooked in, and generously seasoned with subtle herbs. The scent was warm and inviting, and for a moment, it was enough to distract Milis from the knotted feeling in her guts.

Milis and Ifrinn’s plates were quickly tended to by the cart-pushed, who carried to them a serving tray, replete with seared catch-of-the-day belostoma, which was generously stacked onto their plates. The meat gave off a fresh, subtle smell, with a kind of meatiness to it that makes the back of your mouth water.

“Venerable Tumarch, honoured guests, the house would ask for your attention!” the parade’s leader cried.

The table fell silent.

“The punished one shall now atone for his crimes. In his death, we are blessed, in his absence we are bettered. Please raise your cups for the atonement of Burkhard Leva.”

The guests and hosts did as they were told, and raised their dark wine high in honour of the execution of the punished one, and the cloth was removed from the centerpiece.

The handless corpse of a mantis, emptied of life and organs and stuffed with bread and herbs, sprawled out on a silver dish. The green insect had toasted to a golden brown, fat and juices seeping out of his carapace. That carapace, barely clinging to his roasted flesh, had crispened up into a glistening, crunchy brittle, and the scent of his rich, savoury meat filled the air of the banquet hall. His eyes had shrivelled up and burst in the heat of the oven, yet he still seemed to stare blindly at all the guests at once. The beautiful scent and horrific sight played foul tricks on those guests of weaker constitution.

Applause. The sound of modest clapping rang out through the hall, and only Milis remained silent. Ifrinn slowly clapped his hands, unwilling to break his observation of Mantidean manners. The leader of the pallbearers retrieved a knife from the cart, and the cart pusher followed shortly with an empty serving tray. Milis shut her eyes tightly, so as to not see the knife gliding through Burkhard’s flank. Her eyes remained sealed shut as the meat was stripped from his side, from his leg, anywhere the knife could tear away chunks of him, and piled up high onto the serving plate. The servant passed the meat around to the guests, stacking their plates with the profane morsels. Two of the pallbearers reached into the seemingly bottomless cart and found a violin and a bow each. With practised ease and biological awkwardness, they began to play; a somber, mellow tune. Once the guests were adequately provided with guilty flesh, the cart pusher fell into line with the other pallbearers, and the leader spoke up; “Please, venerable Tumarch, honoured guests, enjoy.”

The guests excitedly began to eat, snipping the slices into bite-sized pieces with their shears. They ate with their fingers, dunking the meat into the gravy, scooping up vegetables, any combination their hungry hearts desired, chasing it down with the powerful wine. Milis stared at her plate, feeling a combination of hunger and emptiness. Ifrinn indulged himself in the safe meat they were provided, and gave Milis a subtle nudge.

“We’re almost done.” He spoke softly, so as to not draw unnecessary attention to himself, and to make himself more comforting. “You only need to hold on a little longer.”

She only now took stock of where the other guests were sitting, still trying to not look too closely at Burkhard. Leutgar had sat next to her, and Gytha next to him, though neither seemed to have any reservations about partaking of the mantis’ flesh. Noemi and Juste sat further down on the left side. Milis took comfort in seeing Juste abstain. Guntram and Lamprecht sat on the right side, taking the honoured seats beside their Tumarch, and Prokhor and Evpraksiya further down.

“Hey, that looks pretty good,” Gytha said, still chewing. “I’d ask for some, but Master Leutgar told me that’s bad manners.”

“I’d offer you some, happily,” Milis muttered.

Ifrinn was only slightly more content, munching down on the non-sapient dish he had been served.

“So Ifrinn,” Linza began, “You refused our traditional cuisine.”

“Yes, Matriarch, I did.” “Might I ask why?” she interrogated.

“Oh, I’m afraid medium-rare doesn’t sit well with me, I much prefer well-done,” Ifrinn lied.

“And you knew that we would be cooking this way from our invitation alone?” “What can I say, Matriarch, I’m good at guessing.”

Linza scowled at Ifrinn, who continued dining as happily as he could. The dauci and pastinacas were soft and tender, and the dirt apples were light and fluffy. When soaked in the heavy gravy, the roasted meat took on an intense, melt-in-the-mouth flavour, moreish indeed. The wine, although powerful, rinsed down the buttery, salty taste with a spiced, floral sweetness. If one ignored the corpse in the centre of the room, it might almost feel like a luxurious night out.

Ifrinn was no stranger to finger-food, though it was never normally so ornate. Nor so wet. The dishes of water proved an invaluable asset; slurping at one’s fingers is generally frowned upon at the dinner table. A serviette wouldn’t have gone amiss, though.

Milis was too busy staring at her food to eat any of it, the pit in her stomach feeling as full as it did empty. Instead she turned her focus to the beetle beside her, trying to take in anything other than the smell of meat. Gytha was happily chowing down of the food in front of her with no sign of stopping, so much so that one of the masked servants had already given her a few more slices of meat.

“Gytha,” Leutgar hissed, “Control yourself.”

“Sorry master, but I can’t help it! Have you even tried it yet?” Hearing Gytha call Burkhard ‘it’ turned her stomach.

“Of course I have, it’s delicious. However, you will not forget your manners in this company, do you understand?”

Gytha swallowed another mouthful before replying; “Yes, master.” To Gytha’s credit, she did slow down. A little.

Milis stared back at her food. Somehow, it seemed much less egregious now. Gytha’s display of wanton avarice and her own empty gut probably helped this in equal measure. She cautiously tried a daucus. It was soft and sweet, but not overly so, and the rich, salty gravy played along very nicely with the delicateness of the vegetable. It wasn’t that bad, actually. Knowing that the meat on her plate was much the same she had been eating her whole life definitely helped her digest it all.

“Your plate’s still lookin’ pretty full there,” Gytha said, snapping Milis out of her trance.

“Yeah, yeah it is.”

“Something wrong?”

“No no! No, nothing’s wrong,” Milis lied, “It’s just… I’m just not that hungry,” she said with a forced smile.

“Look,” Gytha said, knowingly, “I get it, I’ve been to a few of these. It’s weird.”

“That’s… one way to put it.”

“It’s fine if you don’t wanna eat a guy, I get it. Think about it like this:” Gytha scooched a little closer to Milis, and cautiously pointed around the table. “Look at everyone.”

She did. The guests were all joyfully eating away at the flesh of a dead man. The Arachnidan and Mantidean Tumarchs were chatting away, between slices of Burkhard’s flank.

“We’re all eating ‘im. ‘Cept you and the Lord. And that guy.”

Gytha was pointing at Juste, who, despite Noemi’s poking and prodding, was not eating anything.

“You and Ifrinn got the good-people plates. He’s not even bothered with a plate! Bet his mistress isn’t being rude about it though,” she grumbled.

Milis looked at Ifrinn, who was focused on savouring his food. Somehow, she saw a tinge of sadness in his eyes, even as he delighted in the exquisite flavours.

“So don’t worry so much. The cooks are careful to not get nothin’ mixed up, your food’s all clear.”

“Thank you, Gytha.”

The beetle gave Milis a wink and returned to her food. Whether she had meant a word of what she said or not, her pep-talk definitely helped ease Milis’ nerves, so much so that she tried some of the belostoma. She kicked herself a little for not trying it sooner.

“Merciful moon that’s good,” she muttered, covering her mouth with her clean hand.

To her embarrassment Ifrinn chuckled at her mumbling, and gave her a proud smile. He quickly returned to his own world, recentering himself on his plate. He had whittled through most of the meal by now, each bite more delicious than the last. His bastion of indulgence was broken by a familiar tone.

“How is your food, Ifrinn? To your standards?” Linza asked, her voice seeping with vitriol.

“It is quite delightful, thank you, Matriarch.”

“And yet you cannot be tempted to try the main dish.”

“Quite correct, Matriarch.”

“Why is that, Ifrinn?”

“Is a man not entitled to his preferences?”

“Of course he is,” Linza admitted, “But if one understands from where his entitlement stems, then such a man might be better accommodated next time.”

“I believe that I am perfectly well accommodated, Matriarch.”

“Linza,” Beraht whispered, “Please.”

The rise in Linza’s tone was enough to disturb the rest of the guests, breaking all conversation save for her and Ifrinn’s. The violinists continued playing. Milis assumed that this kind of thing must have happened before, either that or they were exceptionally well-versed in not caring. In any case, her distaste for this woman was mounting.

“Surely you are not, Ifrinn, if the main event itself is not to your liking? The meat isn’t well done enough, was it? We can have that fixed for you. Diener,” she snapped, pointing a claw at a servant who jumped to life. “Take a plate of meat to the kitchen, and have it cooked further.”

“At once, Matriarch. This will only take a moment.”

With clockwork precision, the servant grabbed a plate from the cart, and carved away at Burkhard, piling the plate high with meat. Too much, frankly. Milis reasoned this was either a better-safe-than-sorry thing, or that this was planned excess, just to be a pest.

“That’s quite unnecessary, Matriarch,” Ifrinn assured.

“And why is that, Ifrinn? Do you not wish to partake in our sacred traditions?”

“No, Matriarch, I do not.”

“You would balk at our heritage? At us?”

Ifrinn opened his mouth to answer, but was interrupted by the sound of a chair scraping along the ground. Milis’ feet led her of their own accord, walking past Ifrinn, past Linza and the other diners. She arrived beside the servant carving the meat, and by this point the music had stopped. Milis grabbed a slice of meat, turned around to face Linza, and stuffed it into her mouth. With apparent effort, she managed to choke it down.

“Thank you, Matriarch,” she sputtered, “The meal was delicious, however I for one am full. I imagine the Lord is too, which, I have no doubt, is why he refused.”

“Thank you, Milis. I could not have said it better myself.” Ifrinn stood up, finished off the wine in his cup, and walked away from the table toward the exit. “Thank you for your hospitality, most venerable Tumarch. We will be taking our leave.”

As one may imagine, vomiting in an alleyway is something of a taboo to the Mantidea. Doing it twice, however, is damn near unfathomable. Ifrinn gave Milis a reassuring pat on the back, apparently unbothered by the unacceptable display. Milis stood up slowly, head spinning.

“We’ve left earlier than I had told the driver,” said Ifrinn. “He’ll still be sticking around for a while yet. I suggest we find a drink for you, if only to remove the taste.”

“Yeah, I think that-” Milis covered her mouth with her hand, ready to be sick again. She managed to keep it down. “I think that would be good.”

“I must say,” Ifrinn started, helping keep Milis upright, “That was quite the display. Thank you, I might have exploded if you hadn’t acted.”

“What can I say, she was bothering me at that point too.”

Ifrinn turned his eyes to the road for a second, trying to coax himself back into speech.

“I shouldn’t ask, really, but… How was it?”

Milis looked as though she was staring at something behind the world ahead of her, eyes almost glased over with thought, finding the right words.

But what words were there? For something so completely, utterly, unrepentantly evil, and yet the most delicious thing you’ve ever eaten? The rendered fat crispened the skin enough to give it a satisfying ‘crunch’, but not enough to mar the soft, almost cloud-like tenderness of the meat. Salty and oh-so-rich, with that kind of earthiness that lingers just a little on the roof of your mouth and behind your nose, tempting you to have another, and another. It was completely unlike anything Milis had eaten before, and much, much more delicious. So delicious, in fact, it almost distracted her from the reality that she had eaten somebody’s corpse.

“It was… Fine.”

Ifrinn looked a little dissappointed. “Fine?”

“Honestly? The belostoma was better.”

So yeah hope you liked that. I certainly like the fact that you chose to suffer through it.

#writing #insects #fantasy #cw cannibalism

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astralartefact · 3 months

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ARE YOU READY TO BINGO The Bi-Annual Final Fantasy Fourteen Expansion Bingo Returns

I tried to keep it ~balanced~, but after Myths of the Realm burned me I felt the need to include a pessimistic corner in the lower left.

Thoughts and Explanations below the cut!

Eliminator Gundam

I know we already technically had Mech Suit Fights with the Weapons, buuut.... what if we did it again :) Give her a Gundam!!!

Ill-Advised Azem Lore Drop

They should know better than to go into Azem's Backstory, but I have a feeling they might still make them an actual character. Which I'm squarely against. Do not touch. You will simply not write something that will make it worth it.

Someone Sundered finally knows more than us

aka 'WoL and Friends stop being the Main Character of the Universe for once'-Challenge.

The Forgotten People went to Tural

Aloalo kind of already implied this happened (They left Aloalo but nobody knows where they went and where else could they have gone but across the ocean?) but I also think that it might actually be plot-relevant (more on that later)

The Enigmatic Maiden doesn't make it out of the Expansion

I don't really think she's going to survive this. I certainly want her to but it's just too easy to get rid of her, especially if she is indeed the bad guy of the Solution 9 Arc. Bonus Points if it's a heroic sacrifice as repentance for the wrong she caused, because as we all know the only way to make up for something is to fcking die about it <3!

Trial Fight on Top of Solution Nine

Come on!!!! They have to!!!

Questionable Armor Design Choices

How many robes that all look the same could they possibly design before someone steps in???

Somebody "Important" (but not too important) dies

I won't count Enigmatic Maiden for this space, even if I mean the same thing by it: They will kill a 'major' NPC (people say the one headed mamool ja prince has death flag vibes) for sTaKeS.

The Twelfth Shard is Involved (even though it doesn't really make sense timeline-wise)

Listen, this is not me being against it - I want this to happen, I think it's a really cool idea to put another Shard's people onto the source - but timeline-wise it doesn't really make sense.

On one hand it does make sense - Heritage Found is specifically described as having been built around the ancient structures there and if those manifested there during the Calamity of Lightning that would line up with the Forgotten coming to Tural and possibly first populizing it around the Calamity of Ice.

The problem is that the Calamity of Lightning was the second overall and at that time the people of the source learned how to create and use tools which... makes this sort of technology a little far-fetched. They still could make it an "The Ascians helped" sort of thing - maybe apart from saving them from it this thing also caused the entire Calamity? - but it would certainly need some amount of handwaving.

They finally talk about the Sun and/or Sundering Meta-Physics

I couldn't decide which one to focus this point on so I just put both. They somehow have never once actually talked about the Sun in any meaningful physical lore way which is kind of weird tbh... Similar to that I just want confirmation how Space Travel works after the Sundering. How far into space does the Sundered Dimensions reach? Could the other Shards see, for example, Dalamud or that other Allagan Satellite that crashed onto the Moon back when it was active? Is the sun we see on different shards the same or are they different suns?

English Localization Moment

The English Localization will just Translate something differently for no good reason and everyone will clap despite that not being a good thing. Could already mark this based on the trailer straight up using entirely different lines.

Y:DA did it better

I will probably find something that Y:DA did better. I'm not here to play fair, I want to win.

Somehow Shaaloani won me over

I will probably not be won over by Shaaloani. We already did arid western. Twice.

Erenville Outfit Change

Surely they keep him in his work clothes on purpose, right? They wouldn't just cheap out on giving him some other clothes, right? Right??

Something Actually Unexpected Happens

I don't know, it doesn't really seem like something on the level of "Fight Zodiarc, now!!!" will happen this time around, but what if they go crazy at Level 97??

Not Enough Krile

They will still find a way to disrespect her, I just know it. I will only mark this square if I'm happy with how they treated her!!!

Enigmatic Maiden's Name is kind of Underwhelming

Some people are saying she might be "Sarah" and that's exactly what I mean, something in the vein of Clive.

Genuinely Well-Intended Ascian

It doesn't have to be a good reason, I just don't want their reason to be "Who cares about these inferior beings!" again.

Is it to late to pray for salt flats?

Listen, if you can do Arid Western for the third time you can do Salt Flats for the second time!!!

The Pessimism Corner

Who Needs Eternal Life, It's Bad Anyways!

To skip the section where I amateurishly ramble about philosophy, let's make this quick:

Seeing that Solution Nine seems centered around offering its inhabitants eternal life without strife, etc. I just... have it in my bones that this narrative goes one step further than Venat and argues that actually, Death, Pain and Suffering makes us stronger or something like that.

And that's the viewpoint of a jealous hater. Who needs Eternal Life anyways!!! Eternal Life is bad actually!!! -3-

idk bad mouthing a thought experiment is just not the strategy to deal with the limitations of the human race that I would proudly theme half an expansion around.

The Writers really want me to like a character but I don't

I nominate Koana but "Sarah" might end up as this, too. In "Sarah"'s case I will just make up a new OC to replace her with though lol you should see what i did with elidibus' chin

Also no I don't care about Haurchefant stop bringing him up as if I did!!!!

I will be reminded of Myths of the Realm

If this happens send help.

Asinine Community Reaction

Come on, we all know they will regurgitate something fine into the ground ("That, I can't remember the smiles that we ceased, but you're not here to hero.") or hate something benign with a passion (they're still harassing every official insta post complaining about hats) - the question isn't if, it's What

#ffxiv #ff14

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husbandohunter · 3 years

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Hello may I request albedo x shy reader where albedo and reader has feelings for each other but reader is too introverted to do anything and albedo doesn't want to tell as he thinks he scares her as reader always gets red and is stuttering when he talks to her. Klee finds out about this and makes it her mission to get albedo and reader together.

Klee gets albedo to play hide and seek with her and invites reader to play together with her. Albedo is counting down while klee and reader hides. Klee and reader hides in a location that klee always hides in so albedo would find them quickly. While they're hiding where albedo is within hearing distance, klee ask reader about whether she has feelings for albedo or not. Reader then admits to having feelings for albedo and makes klee promise not to to tell him. Albedo having heard all this comes behind reader and says why not, proceeds to bring reader to a private location and tells reader his feelings.

If this is too detailed a shy reader x albedo headcanon is enough.

I Found You [Albedo x Shy!Reader]

Synopsis: For someone as meek and reserved as you, love with Albedo was a game of hide and seek...literally!

Genres: Fluff

(A/n): Ahhh what a cute idea, don’t be afraid to be detailed at all! I love hearing people’s ideas. Buuut kinda went overboard with this one since I am in the narrative mood, hope you don’t mind >//< Word count_2.3k

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Albedo wonders if he had done something wrong?

Three weeks, four days, sixteen minutes and twenty five seconds. To this moment he had counted down every tick of the clock since the day you began avoiding him. That's how he sees it at least. You weren't always deliberately doing this on purpose, as Lisa's personal helper, there were times when you were given a chance to converse with the Chief Alchemist after dropping off the books he requested for research purposes. Albedo would ask how your day went, trying to find out if you wanted to take a short break and drink some of the tea Noelle had prepared for him. Your response was a modest one but he didn't mind, he eventually came to enjoy your tranquil prescence after a long day of work.

But something changed. Those moments where you came in during your free time have gradually faded to nothing more than swift bows and small greets coming from the door. Every attempt he made to invite you for another tea session you left as quickly as you entered. At first he dismissed these moments, thinking that you were probably too busy with no time to stop by. Albedo was a busy person himself, though, that didn't prevent him from noticing your odd behaviour whenever he saw you in the hallway. Just as he was about to call your name, you avert your eyes and take a sharp turn until you were out of sight, leaving him perplexed and alone. The alchemist couldn't help feel neglected. Compared to everyone else, he was the only one you couldn't approach with ease. It bothered him immensely.

Did he accidentally say something to upset you? Albedo was well aware of his straightforward attitude which might have caused a negative affect on your contrasting, rather delicate personality. But he always felt that he had taken great consideration on how to approach you. Or what if it was the time when he happened to eat the last bite of Noelle's shortcakes? Remembering the afternoon you sat in his office, he recalls that there were exactly five instead of four treats left on the plate. Little by little, they began to disappear, you only ate two while he devoured three. Was this the reason why? No, that can't be it. You were the one who offered and refusing would only be impolite. Unless you felt pressured to do so when he told you that he was very fond of sweets….

Albedo heaves his shoulders and lets out a breathly sigh. He became very melancholy since then, staring out the window from the second floor when there were still unread research reports lying on his desk. His mind was so cluttered that he couldn't bring himself to focus these days. How troublesome. If only he were more adept with the ways of socializing, only then he can figure out what triggers you to be so nervous around him, why you tend to shrink when he gazes into your eyes and how is it that he feels so bitter when seeing you act the complete opposite with someone else.

"Big brother?" asked Klee. She hops off her stool before throwing the box of crayons to the side. The young girl prances her way to where Albedo stood and tugs on the hem of his coat, "Is there something wrong? Why are you sad?"

"Klee," Albedo turns his head in reponse. A pair of oversized cherry orbs looks at him with concern while the girl's bangs falls sideways to frame her petite face. He felt the white fabric crinkling within her grip as she signals him to come down. Placing one knee on the floor, Albedo gently smiled, speaking in his soft and brotherly tone, "Don't worry, I'm fine. Have you finished your drawing?"

"Mhm, almost done!" She throws her hands up and cheers, "But can you help me with the backgrounds? Klee doesn't know how to colour them."

"I don't see why not," agreed the alchemist, "Come, I'll teach you."

Just when Albedo was leading Klee back to the little space he set up for her, a knock was heard on the door. He ushers her to stay put and Klee tries to peer over his shoulder to see who the visitor was. When she recognized you standing at the frame, her smile grew wide in excitement.

It's big sister (Y/n)! Did she come here to play with us too? Oh please please please!

"(Y/n), you're here," Albedo couldn't help the apparent surprise on his face, "What brings you? Is there something I can help you with?"

"Ah sorry to bother, I-I have the documents you requested from the library!" You nervously handed him the folder.

Huh? Klee brings a finger to her chin, That's wierd...Why does she look so scared?

"Thank you (Y/n)," Albedo slips them out of your trembling grasp in the same fashion he would handle old relics on the verge of breaking. It was so long since you last visited him and he didn't want to startle you, "I appreciate you for bringing them here."

You shook your head in response, "It's nothing much…"

There it was again. You were avoiding to look at him in the eye. At this rate the next thing to occur would be you taking your leave and he didn't want that. Not when he finally gets the chance to fix his mistakes. Using his calculative mind, Albedo tries to formulate the best approach to soothe your worries. He thought of the first step, something that would make you more comfortable. Perhaps he could try smiling? Yes, that could do it. They always seem to have positive affects.

"(Y/n)."

He calls you. The sound of your name on his lips brings you out of your frenzy state and you subconciously lifted your gaze, daring to take a small peek over his countenance.

"I'm very glad to see you again, truly."

Oh!

You froze into place. Your brain stops working and the whole world comes to a halt. It was the sight held in front of you that stole every last breath away leaving you with nothing but butterflies fluttering about. They spread their wings, voraciously swarming from the pit of your stomach, desperate to burst along with the pounding of your heart. Never in your life have you witnessed or even fathomed the idea of how Albedo would look if he smiled but here you were, mesmerized and captivated like a butterfly entranced by the flower's glow. It blooms. So brilliantly that you couldn't stop yourself from being drawn. Eyes you fought so hard to tear away from, sparkled just for you, crinkling from the impact of his evergrowing smile. It was the feeling that made you fall for him. The same feeling that pushes you to run somewhere far far away, knowing if you flew too close, the outcome would risk everything you were trying to protect.

"(Y/n)?" The alchemist tilts his head in confusion. He noticed the redness seeping into your features and immediately brings a glove hand to press against your forehead, "Your temperature is rising. Are you feeling sick? You should have told me earlier."

"I can't…"

"Hm? Why not?"

"Ah I just remembered there's something I need to do!" Taking a step back you gave him a stiff bow, "Good luck in your research Sir Albedo!"

Given no chance to reply, Albedo watched you dash away before disappearing around the corners. He could only stare blankly at the empty space in front of him before dropping his arm back to his side, contemplating; where did I go wrong?

"Does that mean (Y/n) doesn't want to play with us?" Klee said dissapointedly.

"…I suppose."

"Big brother?" Upon hearing Albedo sigh, Klee finally figured out what caused him to falter these days. Perhaps not entirely being the small child she was but there were enough clues to let her know that the relationship between you and Albedo was somewhat strained. To Klee, she saw you both as the bestest friends! And it was only natural that friends play together right?

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"Eh? You want me to play hide and seek?"

The Spark knight nods heavily as she grinned up at you, "Uh huh, and with big brother!"

"Klee, don't force her if she doesn't want to, it'll be fine with just the two of us," Albedo scolded lightly and folds his arms over his chest.

She only returns him a pout, "But it's fun with more people!"

"Klee-"

"It's okay Sir Albedo, I don't mind," you chimed in at last. You were just taking a stroll near Starfell Lake after you finished organizing the bookshelves in Lisa's stead (as always, she naps while you worked away). All of a sudden, Klee waves over from the otherside and proceeds to drag you into a friendly game for little kids. You weren't sure why she seemed so desperate but…

"Yay!" While jumping side to side, the girl did a little mini dance while waving her arms in the air, "You're the best (Y/n)!"

It was hard to refuse someone as cute as Klee.

"So for the first round, big brother is going to be the one who counts to twenty while you and I go hide so he can never ever find us," Klee informs enthusiastically.

"Alright, that shouldn't be a problem," said Albedo.

You followed suit with a giggle, "But considering it's you Albedo, I don't think twenty seconds is enough."

He quirks an eyebrow, shocked from the way you referred to him.

"Ah, I-"

"Let's go!" Klee interrupts which you were thankful for, "And no peeking!"

Turning to face the Statue of Seven, Albedo counts down monotonously while you and Klee scrambled for an ideal hiding place. This was not the first time you indulged in one of her many activities, in the past it had almost become part of your daily routine to assist the alchemist in entertaining his little sister. Even Klee was capable to be the seeker for several rounds and Albedo would lead you to a spot nearby yet discreet, just the right amount of difficulty for her to handle.

He wouldn't think of this area again, would he?"

"Six...five...four..."

Eeek! Better hide.

You hopped into the crevice formed between the mountain rocks and crouched down, huddling your knees together against your chest to blend with the shadows. You let out a soft sigh, pleased that you were able to make it in time.

"Wow big sis, I didn't know you would be here too."

The screech nearly escapes when you were startled by a pair of ruby eyes gleaming at you innocently. Klee signals you to stay quiet and you nodded, bringing down the hand that you used to cover your mouth. From a distance you spotted the chief alchemist shifting his footsteps against the grass, though he was far enough on the otherside to not notice you and Klee together in the same room. You beamed softly. He was purposely holding back.

"Pssst! Big sis?" Klee whisper-shouted, "Are you angry at big brother?"

You returned a curious glance, slightly taken aback by the outlandish statement she made, "No of course not. How could I?"

(If anything, it was the contrary).

"Then why are you always running away from him? You guys used to be really good friends, Klee misses you and big brother misses you that's why...that's why he's always sad when you're gone.

"Oh...I-I had no idea..." feelings of guilt begin to emerge when you realized what your action seemed from a different prespective. You were so caught up with being cautious that it prevented you from seeing how Albedo would react on the recieving end. Without knowing, your true colours began to reveal themselves as you could no longer stand the thought of making Klee (making him) upset, "I'm sorry, I'm just not good with words."

The little girl cocks her head to the side.

"Ever since I was little, I never found it easy to make friends. Until now when I finally became Lisa's assistance, I still can't approach other people and they tend to shy away from me since I am...difficult to hold a conversation with..."

Hugging your knees even closer, a fond expression graces your features, "But Albedo was kind to me. He was patient when I didn't know what to say. Whenever I made a mistake, he would always be there to teach me the correct steps. I have alot to thank him for."

"Huh...?"

"I think it's also on of the reason why I fell for him too. But I will never have the courage to say it. I don't want to ruin the friendship we have so I chose to keep it to myself. Though, I guess it only made things worse. So promise me that you won't say anything okay? I'll apologize to him later."

Klee did not respond. She only stares past your shoulder and you immediately spun around to see Albedo standing at the entrace with an expression equivalently shocked as yours.

"(Y/n)...."

"I...I-" you stammered. The embarassment was so unbearable to the point that tears began to form at the corner of your eyes.

"Wait, don't cry. There's no need to because-"

You thrusted your way past him before he could finish his sentence, sprinting to the distance while yelling, "I'M SORRRYYYYYYYYYYY!"

"Wait!" The alchemist chases shortly after, "Come back!"

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You groaned at the pain throbbing against your skull as you pushed yourself upright. A fallen branch, it was. One you didn't catch before tripping over your steps and tumbling down the hill while landing harshly on the sensitive pad of your elbow. The surroundings seemed unfamiliar to your memory since you never travelled too far from Mondstadt, your vision was filled with nothing but the endless columns of trees and bushes nearby. There were no signs of anyone else within the area.

"I'm lost," you announced in a defeated tone. Something cold taps against the tip of your nose and you realized that the clouds have already gathered over your head, violently spilling the rain down to where you sat. You crawled to a dry space where the tree branches were thick enough to keep the water out. You stayed there, waiting. But waiting for what?

"I can't go back," you meekly say, "I can't see him."

The air was cold and you shiver in response. You hated how much of a coward you could be sometimes. You were always so weak, never having the strength to be courageous for once. Albedo was a beautiful man, he was smart and he was popular, he was everything you're not. There's no way that he'd return your feelings.

However...

"I found you."

Why did he come back?

"Thank goodness you're alright. Are you hurt?" Albedo lowers himself to meet your level. Up close you could see the strands sticking from the side of his golden head and the residues that marred his features. Still, he looked beautiful. Your heart soars from the intense gaze he kept on you, drawing lower until he caught the scrape at the side of your arm. Albedo pulls it forward so that he could examine them at nearer proximity, "Hmm this doesn't look so good. We should head back so I can treat your wounds immediately. Can you stand?"

You nodded.

"Good. Here, take my hand," he offers his gloved fingers and pulls you up to your feet. You could tell that he was trying to be gentle from the way he adjusted his stance so you wouldn't wobble. Kind. He was so kind.

"Why did you come for me?" You started, "I don't understand."

Albedo frowned. There it was again, the expression he hated. The one where you wouldn't look at him in the eye.

"I just don't want to-"

He didn't even bother with what you wanted to tell him. Instead, Albedo removes his coat almost within an instead and threw it around your shoulders. He wraps you gently, making sure that the rain didn't touch your bare shoulders before bring his arms around your figure and trapping you in his embrace. You could feel his fingers raking against the strands of your hair as your vision was blocked by the star on his neck. A little voice thanked the archons for this particular position, for two reasons in fact. The first being that he wouldn't be able to see your expression, knowing you must've looked as if you ate a bowl of raw Juyeun chilis. The second reason, well, you were simply overjoyed.

"Do you understand now?"

Closing your eyes, you succumbed to the grasp of your beloved, "Yes, I do."

"You won't run away?"

His tone was almost a plead. You reassured him by moving your head to the crook of his neck, how foolish for you to assume all this time, "I won't, don't worry."

"Are you sure?"

"I promise."

"Good," Albedo's eyes soften in response as he pulls alway to see your face, "I love you too (Y/n)."

Alas the butterfly and the flower finally united as one. Like nectar, he was sweet. How bold of him. It seems that not only was he able to steal your heart but your first kiss as well.

#genshin impact #genshin impact x reader #genshin impact albedo #genshin albedo #albedo x reader #genshin x reader #genshin impact scenarios #genshin impact headcanons #genshin impact imagines #genshin headcanons #genshin imagines #genshin scenarios #genshin impact klee #genshin klee #nya-writes

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chipsfics · 3 years

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“Play date” - OK KO oneshot

its been a while since i uploaded anything to this account, huh? heres a little something i wrote starring Rad and Darrell!!

With a near-imperceptible move of his robotic joint, Darrell put the finishing touch on his newest lego creation. It was a small replica of Gar's Bodega, notwithstanding a few off-white bricks where there should be yellow. Darrell worked with what he had.

"Hey bolt-bucket!" Darrell heard a familiar voice coming from his doorway. "The Plazoids are coming over today." Shannon, with a hand on her hip, absorbed in whatever she was looking at on her phone.

"Oh hey Shannon- wait WHAT?" Darrell turned his head. "Nobody told me they were coming over!!" He stood up and looked around, quickly sitting back down to hurriedly pick up some loose pieces off the floor before carefully placing the replica of Gar's on his shelf, next to the miniature Boxmore.

"Yeah, apparently Raymond invited them for a visit, since daddy's run off with Professor Venomous for the weekend," Shannon said. Ever since the whole TKO and Shadowy Venomous debacle, and working alongside Rad, Enid and K.O as heroes, things between them have been less of a genuine rivalry and more like friendly sparring. They had kept up the villain-hero back-and-forth for a while now, but sometimes in moments of respite they'd talk or just hang out.

"That's weird." Darrell said. "A play-date with heroes?" "Darrell," Shannon looked up from her phone, "Don't say 'play-date'. It's uncool,"

"Oh." Darrell looked to the side, "Well I better clean my room." Before Darrell could get another word in, Shannon was already back to walking down the hall.

"Sooo… this is Boxmore!" Rad strolled through one of the many high-ceilinged hallways, the footfalls of his boots echoing through the vacant factory. Enid, K.O and the other boxmore bots followed close behind. The other boxmore bots… Minus Darrell.

"Yes, isn't it magnificent?" Raymond said. "This is where the magic happens." "It's funny. I haven't actually seen this part of the factory, despite the countless times I've been captured." Enid said.

"It's a surprisingly big place!" Shannon added.

"Ooh, Oooh! I wanna see the conveyor belts next!" K.O jumped up and down excitedly.

"Great!! They're just around this corner," Ernesto briskly walked ahead of the group and pulled a lever, causing the machine to rattle and begin assembling robots of various colors.

"I AM JETHRO." Jethro said.

"I think he's excited too," K.O giggled, picking up the tiny blue robot and dancing around with him.

"Woaahh… Pretty impressive." Rad spotted a certain red robot among the assembly lines, and looked from side to side. "Wait, where's Darrell?"

"Oh. I think he might still be in his room?" Shannon said. "He didn't know you guys were coming until like, 20 minutes ago."

"Hah. He's missing all the action," Rad smiled as he watched K.O make Jethro do a little dance.

"If you'd feel so inclined, shall we make our way to the battery acid vats next?" Raymond butted in.

"Battery acid vats!" K.O threw his arms up in the air.

"That sounds good. Rad, you in?" Enid smiled. "I promise I won't push you in." "That sure is reassuring," Rad laughed. "Buuut I think I'm gonna, um. Watch the conveyors for a little while longer."

"Suit yourself." Enid said, "Just meet up with us when you're done, K?" Following the other boxmore bots, she turned a corner before Rad sighed and walked towards the elevator. It wasn't like he knew where Darrell's room was, but he just wanted to make sure he was doing ok. He didn't like to admit it, but there was something so charming about these evil boxmore robots, and he considered them genuine friends of his. Even a bot as weird and lame as Darrell.

After spending a good minute looking at a complex and colorful map on the wall of the elevator, he made his way up to the third floor and down a leftmost hallway. The rooms had no doors, but crudely drawn signs illustrated who they belonged to- Raymond's room, which was full of sports equipment and had a large rose-shaped bed in the middle, Shannon's room, which was plastered head-to-toe with magazine clippings and girlish accessory stands, and then finally Darrell's room. Rad peeked his head around the corner to see Darrell sitting on a rocking horse in the center of his room, which looked remarkably childish, looking out the window.

"Um… Darrell?"

Darrell nearly jumped out of his robotic exoskeleton, quickly swiveling around and looking shocked. "Oh! Hi Rad,"

"Hey dude, why are you holed up in your room? We're having lots of fun out there," Rad spoke gently.

"Um. Well, I. Didn't want to make anything awkward…. and… I didn't want to have to show you my room." Darrell looked to the side.

Rad looked from side to side. He had a racecar bed, toys strewn across the floor, and an honest-to-god sippy cup on his nightstand. "Oh man. I can see why," Rad said, without thinking. "I mean, uhh-"

"It's okay. Shannon told me all about how uncool all of this stuff is." Darrell sniffled. "You probably don't wanna hang out here longer than you have to, huh? Let's go."

"Wait, wait, wait. This stuff is- um, well, I can't say it isn't uncool-" Rad stumbled over his words, "What I'm trying to say is that you shouldn't be ashamed to like things that aren't cool. Being cool is overrated anyway."

Darrell smiled sheepishly. "You don't mean that."

"No way!" Rad said. "Um… well, if it makes you feel any better, I… Like cats. And kittens. A lot."

"You like kittens? Wait, I have something to show you!" Darrell ran over to his toybox and dug around for a few seconds, before producing a small gray kitten plush.

"Look!" Darrell lifted up the cat triumphantly. "Aww!! It's so cute!" Rad said, coughed, and said, "I mean, it's cool! I guess, haha…"

"I don't really keep a lot of stuffed animals around..." Darrell was being exceptionally careful with the plush. "Not a lot of villains like kittens."

Rad felt his face grow softer. He put a hand on Darrell's shoulder. "Y'know what? If this stuff makes you happy, there's no reason to be ashamed of it. And if anyone makes fun of you, I'll beat 'em up for ya!"

"Really?" Darrell's eye sparkled.

"But don't tell anyone I said that." Rad said. Darrell erupted into giggles, shaking the small toy up and down in excitement.

"I promise I won't! As long as you don't tell daddy that I'm being so nice to you." Darrell looked to the side for a couple seconds, seemingly in thought. "I… you can have this." Darrell put the cat into Rad's hands.

"Really?" Rad looked the tiny toy. "But-" "Shut up! Let's go meet up with everyone else." Darrell started towards the door, leaving Rad to catch up behind him.

#ok ko #ok ko let's be heroes #darrell #rad

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waokevale · 4 years

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Sanders Sides

-The Snow Queen AU-

[In this ver. The Frost King]

I just had to do this one after I reconnected with the book, yet...I made some major changes (big ones) for the roles to be more interesting and fitting, not just random I suppose.

[ If you haven't read the book, and wish to do so...I suppose it does quite matter for you to understand more but do as you wish from that point.........]

This version of the story is happening in the beginning of The 18th Century, and the characters who play the roles of the ones from the story, or have changed/replaced roles with suposedly similiar Input here are:

• Kai - Remus - (The boy who was the victim of the broken mirror’s fiendish shard.)

• Gerda - Roman (The main protagonist, i suppose)

[In the original story Kai and Gerda are not quite related but are as close as siblings can be, in this one although, of course the twins are, well...the twins.]

• Instead of the Grandmother we have the father of the boys, that no one, literally no one would guess who plays the role of him.......Patton...!

• After that, there is also Logan, who gets the role of being The Frost King, The Cursed Frost King in fact (and by cursed I mean he literally pissed someone off [or broken their heart...] centuries before and they turned him into an ice dude)

• Speaking of curses and magic, Janus is the young Sorcerer instead of the Elder Sorceress from the canon story. And in this verse, let's say that Sorcerers are Immortal beings like vampires, because I felt like it, and let's say he's like... approximately 957 y.o

Janus in this version does not keep Roman for a while, because he is a really bored selfish prick, but because he is desperate and genuinely still sad from the time he lost his own kid (guess who that might be...If you know my obsession with familial anxceit you already know who I’m talking about, yes..) Virgil.

[And no, Virgil is not dead as you see in the fanart, he is cute, alive and well.]

• Speaking about him, he is intended to replace the role of the robber girl. But in this version he was stolen from his Pa/Ma one Summer night...

He didn't age at all because...Well, I just said it, Janus is immortal and Vee in this one is actually his biological kid, so Virgil himself is like 53 y.o

• Pryce and Valery are the Prince and the Princess in the upper corner of the picture. (They are meant to be siblings here)

In the other corner are Thomas and Talyn playing the roles of these magical Finn and Lapp people. (I honestly have no idea how else to call them)

And the Crow and the Raindeer are Remy and Emile, because why not.

[To put it simply, like in the canon of TSS no one here is evil (well except the douchebags of Virgil's kidnappers, but they are not canon characters)]

Also before all of that, I wanted to have a little summery and explanation of some of the situations and short stories from this au

-Remus at first is quite a dork (heh) but really he is a pretty friendly and goofy kid, sure he is quite strange in general but he does show love and affection towards his family (well until the shard of The Mirror got stuck in his eye)

-Logan used to be a Prince from the 10th Century who supposedly felt no emotions and was like a stone husk, or a living statue as people used to say, which made his father desperate enough to the point, he literally set up a very great award for anyone who would make him.. feel something in that matter (The emotionlessness was more of an odd and quite unrealistic version of depression, as to be portraid)

-There was one and only one person who succeded in the act and in which fell head over hills for him in the process actually (before the magic mirror of evils broke into pieces, one of the first ones then fell into his own eyes, destroying all the progress and hurting the one who loved him the most, who was the very exact person who freed him from his deep shelled abyss before.)

[I’m not going to say who that was, you’ll have to figure it out by yourself, if you even bother, that is of course]

-Patton is a single father (wow)

He actually managed to find a way into the Garden of Enternal Summer when he was a kid and... As I quote myself:

“ As a faint Memory, The boy saw the most Elegant and quite The most Beatiful man he’d ever seen, yet with a face halfly scarred with scales as if one cursen upon his soul, his outfit too as his posture spoke was vastly gorgeous, painted mainly in golden and black, but what was yet even more so intriguing, was what he held under his arms, ever oh so gently as it were a small and fragile feather. It in fact..quite was at some point, as it was a small child, very young actually from what it seemed...An Infant it was. The man then walked up to him and offered him his hand, one that wasn’t either of his main two, but nonethless he did so and shared one of the warmest of smiles too, no living creature, no beast nor no man would at this point decline and reject his proffer.”

[Yeah...I’m not good with poetry, especially as English despite it all is my second language...I’m even worse with my main one, so eh.]

Buuut he eventually left either way, so..

[Almost no one could find the secret pathway into the Garden of the Enternal Summer as it was well hidden behind the forests, lakes, caves and mountains. So Roman and his family were quite lucky at this point.]

That is all for now I suppose, I have only one question though...

-Roman is a very sweet kid who talks with animals and plants (but let’s make it a bit more realistic here, the plants do not respond in this version and he is confused but still continues to do so) He is although flawed because a character without flaws is like...A Pizza without the Sauce or a Knife without its blade, blunt and boring that is. Yeah...He has anger issues and is quite impatient and stubborn which is interpreted in both good and bad ways.

-Virgil was gifted with a flower magical hair clip (to help him whenever he was in trouble), a violet scarf and a guardian pet Goliath Birdeater Spider shafed like a Purple Pinktoe Tarantula to protect him from any dangers.

Do you think this is an interesting AU?

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eyrieofsynapses · 3 years

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Okay okay okay, so, I know everyone’s been posting the promo art, but I’m looking at this and I have some immediate observations to make before I go bounce over to today’s Leverage panel.

Y’all, I’m screaming, this is absolutely gorgeous. Anyway:

This is set entirely in space. There’s been a lot of stuff going on off of Earth ever since the second season, but we generally aren’t away from it for too long, even in Outsiders. Does this mean we’ll be spending even more time off-planet this time around?

That’s a boom tube opening behind Nightwing, isn’t it? Given that that’s the favored method of traveling in space, I think that might be some support for the “lots of time off-planet” theory. There’s also a few more planets in the background that don’t look like they’re from our solar system.

Look at the two largest planets. Earth’s on the left, and I can only assume Mars is the one on the right. Now, we know that M’gann and Conner are going to Mars, but the positioning is... interesting. M’comm already messed around with Earth in the third season. If I remember right, we don’t know why M’gann and Conner are going there. This is a bit of a stab in the dark, but could this mean we’re going to be seeing some inter-planetary conflict?

Those globes in the background are awfully interesting! I can think of a lot of things they could connect to, like Halo’s powers, buuut the thing they most remind me of is the typical setup for DC’s multiverse. We often see multiple versions of Earth overlapping and interconnecting in art for things like Infinite Earths. Maybe each of these represents another dimension? Again, big stab in the dark, but, well, we are hoping to see Wally again, and alternate dimensions would be a way to handle that.

There’s also the matter of the Legion of Superheroes character at the very end of Outsiders. They could be timeline-related instead of dimension-related. (That would also help tackle Bart’s backstory.)

Only the original team is featured in the poster. I repeat: only the ORIGINAL TEAM is on the poster. This is a dramatic change from stuff for Invasion and Outsiders. We’ve been promised more of the original team for this season, and I have to wonder... does this mean they’re going to take center stage again and put the newbies to the back? Because if so, yes please. That isn’t to say that I don’t like the new kids. But look, I love the original Team, and frankly the show’s been incredibly overwhelming with all of the new kids. They need to put some characters on the backburner. In fact, I’d say it’s time to let the original Team wrap up some of their arcs. If they get a season to do their final stuff, the new kids could take over full-time in a theoretical fifth season and get the focus they deserve later.

As lots of people are pointing out: ROCKET!!! The radio-type play we heard last year already had her as a bigger focal point, but for her to be on the major poster is big. Is she finally getting the attention she deserves? Pleeeaaaase can we get an arc for Rocket?

And Zatanna! With any luck we’ll be getting some focus on her arc with Doctor Fate.

(Just for the record. I wonder if this is the first YJ poster we’ve seen with more women than men on it.)

I have no idea what those little cyrstals up in the corner are, but I get the sense they’ll be pretty important if they’re positioned in such a highlighted spot. Does anyone know what those could be?

Also: NEW SEASON STREAMING SOON! It’s soon, y’all! It’s finally happening!

And that’s about it for first impressions. Once again: damn this is a beautiful poster. There’s not a ton of info here, but it’s enough to be notable. I kept forgetting that YJ was actually coming back this month (look, Leverage: Redemption has been more than enough on my plate), but jeez, I’ll definitely be thinking about it now. Phantoms is looking more promising by the minute.

#young justice #young justice cartoon #young justice phantoms

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droolingoverdemonboys · 4 years

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First Time Sleeping with the Demon Bros

Okay so this post is going to be slightly NSFW since the topic is obviously sleeping with the boys. I am not really going into much detail in this post (kept it fairly innocent this time), but either way, I’ll be putting my writing below the cut in case someone doesn’t want to read it. Happy scrolling <3 (also all GN, its mostly about the boys instead of MC anyway).

Lucifer

-For your first time with Lucifer I personally imagine him being very gentle. We all know this is one sadistic man but he also doesn’t want to freak you out the first time.

-The type to compliment and praise you throughout. We he does show his more sadistic side, I imagine he will be checking in with you frequently to make sure you are alright.

-An aftercare KING he will be more than happy to help you clean up, will definitely get you some water, and gonna want you to fall asleep in his arms. Also, will NOT stop until you are both completely satisfied, sooo hope you aren’t too busy :*

Mammon

-I see Mammon being a very enthusiastic partner, for lack of a better word. Will try to play it cool and keep a bad boy image, however, can barely contain how excited he is.

-Much less gentle and slow than the eldest, I can’t imagine him being “slow/sensual” in bed at all. Even so, he will be checking in with you to make sure you are still doing well.

-He is ok with aftercare, I see him as more of a hookup guy though, so he might be a little awkward at first since he actually care about you. Well eventually get used to it though.

Leviathan

-Seeeeee I’m a strong believer in “the shy ones are the freakiest ones.” Buuut he may not go all out with the first time between the two of you.

-Gonna be really shy and awkward at first, however, with a little encouragement he is going to feel way more confident. Will probably use that tail of his though.

-Will snuggle the hell out of you afterwards, will thank you for trusting him so much afterwards too (this man doesn’t get laid often, he’s just happy to be invited).

Asmodeus

-Boy is PUMPED and not afraid to show it. He will ask you all about the things you like/don’t like. If you don’t know? Well guess you two are gonna start trying some shit and find out.

-I think he only really cares about his partner feeling pleasure. I don’t see him having and specific kinks, and he is really up for anything.

-If you are uncomfortable with anything, I see him as being someone to help guide you through it and help you out. A great communicator all around. Will suggest you two bathe together afterwards.

Satan

-This man is going to call you kitten and you can’t convince me otherwise. I don't care. I feel like pretty much everyone can agree this man has an unhealthy cat obsession. That being said he isn’t going to be breaking out the kitty ears for you to wear......this time.

-I see him as a relatively aggressive lover. Even your first time together, I imagine him not holding back much at all.

-You are not going to be walking right the next day, sorry about it. And because of your limp, Satan keeps looking at you with that smug ass smirk on his face all day.

Beelzebub

-This sweetheart is so kind and gentle with you during your first time together.

-We all know this dude is buff as hell, and his is just so scared he might hurt his fragile little human. Constantly checking in and making sure you are feeling good.

-A cuddle fiend and will give you sooo many kisses and hugs after you are finished. Will probably fall asleep with his head in the corner of your neck, with a big goofy grin on his face.

Belphegor

-Acts super nonchalant the whole time, but you both know better. Sleepy emo boy is loving this moment with you. Another somewhat aggressive lover in my mind, but takes it pretty slow the first time.

-He wants to savor this moment, in order to remember it forever. Probably going to tease you for any noises that you make though, with a cheeky smile on his face. He just loves watching you come undone because of him.

-Falls asleep very quickly after the two of you are finished (are you even surprised?). But will be cuddling the hell out of you, and mumbling how much he loves you, just before falling asleep.

#obey me #obey me headcanons #obey me fanfic #demon brothers #om headcanons

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giggleeclown · 3 years

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Why We Don’t Play the Tickle Game. | Lamb Chop’s Play Along Fanfic.

(This fanfic is a SFW tickle fanfic! If you don’t like it, kindly leave!)

(Olivia here, this is a little drabble I made at 1 AM last night completely flustered and lee. This might be cringe idk- bUUUT ENJOY REGARDLESS)

“Oh please, Charlie Horse? Pleeease? I’ll sit still this time, honest!”

“I dunno, kid. Every time I do it, you freak out on me. There are reasons that we don’t play the ‘tickle game.’”

Hush Puppy looked at his older brother with a sheepish expression. For this being his favorite game to play, he certainly didn’t display it. Charlie cocked his eyebrow at his baby brother, crossing his arms expectantly.

“See, Charlie? I’ll even lay down here, see? Nothin like laying down on this fluffy carpet to get ya to stay put and not make a sound, huh?” Hush Puppy persuaded, trying to freeze still in a convincing manner. Charlie looked down at the small dog, sighing with endearment. A loving smile tugged at the corners of his mouth.

“All right, all right. But you’d better not shout, or else mom is gonna be real mad at me.”

Hush Puppy, upon hearing the confirmation, eagerly thumped his feet on the ground and wagged his tail. “Me? Shout? What’s shoutin anyways? A cute lil soul like me would never shout or get his darlin’ big brother in tr- woah!”

Charlie Horse grabbed the puppy in front of him and snatched him up into his arms, sitting down on his bed. “All right then, short stuff. You asked for this!” He warned, digging his sturdy hooves into his baby brother’s sides. A steady flow of giggles followed with a few mild kicks and squeals.

“Euyueeeeheheheehee! Charlieeeehehe! Nahahaa-haaa! You’z... tihicklin meeehehe!”

Charlie Horse rolled his eyes with a smirk. “Isn’t that what you wanted this whole time? This is what you pestered me to do for fifteen minutes, right?” He chuckled, rubbing the area around Hush Puppy’s belly. His laughter jumped.

“Mmn-mnhahahahAHA! AHAHA! NAHAHAT THEHEheheeheeeree! ChAHAAHAAALIEE!”

Charlie had already forgotten about his stern warning. Now, his objective was just to make his little brother laugh. Despite the annoyance he could be from time to time, Charlie did love him a whole lot. Thinking about his brother, he dipped him backwards until he was almost hanging upside down. Charlie rested his face on Hush Puppy’s belly, nuzzling into it teasingly to make him shriek with laughter.

“ChahaHAHAHA!! N-NOHOW THAT AIN’T FAIR! CHARLIE HOHOHOAHAHAAAAHAHA! EUEHEHEEHEHE!”

“I dunno Hush, seems pretty fair to me! All is fair in tickles and war!” Charlie Horse smirked, nuzzling his bright blonde hair into his brother’s feet. Hush Puppy kicked and squealed, little feet twitching and trying to wiggle free. Hush Puppy could feel himself bubbling to his limit.

“S-STAHAHAP THAT CHAHAHARLIE HAHAHAWRSEEEHEHE! EUEHEHE!! THAHAHAT’S TOO MUHUHAHAHACH!”

“How about you stop being so darn ticklish, huh? Ya ever thought about that?”

Charlie slowly let Hush Puppy’s weight slip until he was almost upside down, leaning with him to nuzzle his large nose into the grey puppy’s neck. Hush Puppy tried to lean away, despite his attempts being fruitless. Desperate, he broke his promise and called for their mother.

“M...MHMHMAAAHAA! MAMAHAHA! SHAHAHARIIIHI! HEHE-HELP MEHEHE! MUEHE-EHEHEUEHEHE!” Hush puppy finally squealed out, his tittering laughter going silent.

Shari burst through the door to find the most precious sight. Charlie had Hush Puppy tight in his grasp, nuzzling and tickling every inch of him. Hush Puppy, however, was screaming and reaching his limit. Snapping back from the wholesome sight, Shari composed herself.

“Charlie Horse! You put your brother down right now. You know he doesn’t like that. You boys play nice or you won’t play at all, understand?”

The eldest child’s jaw dropped so low it could have fallen right off. Halting his onslaught, Charlie looked at Shari in disbelief.

“But- but mom I-“

“No buts, Charlie. You know that you’re the oldest, and you have to know your own strength. You’re much too rough on the little ones. You heard what I said before, now play nice, you two.”

As Shari left the boys’ room, Charlie Horse dropped Hush Puppy to the ground with an “oomph!” Welp, he loved him for a second at least.

It only took a matter of seconds before Hush Puppy sprung to life again.

“Oh, Charlie! That was so much fun! What does ya say about another match, eh? I can takes it, I tells ya! I can takes it!”

Charlie sighed, resting his chin on his hoof.

“This is exactly why we don’t play the tickle game.”

#tickle #lee!hushpuppy #ler!charliehorse #lambchopsplayalongtickles #ticklish!hushpuppy #tickle fic

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kimnjss · 4 years

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round two | jhs

⤑ series: groupie love

⤑ genre: smut, rapper!hoseok x youtuber!reader, idol au.

⤑ rating: explicit.

⤑ word count: 4.4K

⤑ warnings: cursing, hickeys, (slight) oral sex (f. receiving), nipple play, unprotected sex (wrap it up, loves!).

⤑ A/N: wow, this is sooo late and i literally have no excuse bc i’ve been at home all day - i was just too lazy to pick up my laptop. LMAO. buuut! i really, really hope you guys like this part!

Your conversation with Jimin is cut short, his words rushed as he tells you Yoongi is trying to FaceTime. He's hanging up before you have a second to wonder when the two of them had gotten close enough to be FaceTiming... and why there was so much excitement in his tone.

Before he was rushing you off the phone, you two had been talking about the dos and don'ts for you to follow tonight. Do: be flirty and offer a few laughs at his jokes here and there. Don't: decide everything falling from his lips was hilarious and deserved a reaction. Mentally, you took notes as Jimin listed off the simple rules for you to use as guidelines.

You had been seconds from asking him to help you pick out what you were going to wear tonight, but he was off the line too quickly. Either way, you were going to at least try to be yourself tonight. It was no secret to you that Hoseok was mainly interested in the persona that you put on, you were determined to get him to like the real you just as much.

Which meant the new clothes that you had bought when the two of you first started talking were pretty much a waste. Not comfortable in any of those outfits and they really didn't match your personality.

Just because you had decided to be yourself, didn't mean that finding out which outfit highlighted your best self would be easy. It was hours before you were nodding at yourself in the mirror, satisfied. Your favorite white lace tank top neatly tucked into the waistband of a comfy pleated skirt. Casual, but still cute. This was your style. Hair done in loose curls, makeup kept natural... this was you.

Your phone is dinging with a message from Hoseok, just as you're slipping your arms into a knit cardigan. He's outside, ready and waiting for you and the calm that you had been feeling earlier had been washed away. A nervous patter in your chest as you typed back your response, tucking your phone into your purse and making your way down the stairs.

Hoseok is sat behind the wheel, dark sunglasses hanging off of the bridge of his nose and hair falling in messy curls onto his forehead. He grins when he sees you, leaning over the threshold to push the door open for you. You're sliding in beside him, instantly being intoxicated by his sweet scent that fills the car.

“You look pretty,” He's complimenting as soon as you're settled, eyes dragging over your attire before he's smiling, nodding to himself and turning his attention to the road ahead of him.

You smile your thanks, watching as he shoves the car into gear and pulling away from your house.

“Where we going?” Curiosity getting the better of you after you've been moving for a little bit, no destination in sight. He had his latest mixtape playing through the speakers, loudly, and you couldn't help but find it interesting he actually listened to his own music like that.

“Studio,” He replies simply and you want to ask what kind of date could be had at the studio. But you don't, just nod your head and allowing your body to sink into the leather of his seats.

“So what's up with the new get up?” Hoseok is tilting his head in your direction and despite already knowing what you're wearing, you're looking down at your attire and scanning it over. “I mean, you look good. Just different from the first time I saw you,” He's quick to buffer when you're not answering him right away.

Hands reaching for the hem of your dress, fingers toying with the edge as you shrug your shoulder. “This is more my style,” You reply simply, shocked at the smile that breaks onto his features. He's nodding his head, body bobbing with the action while he faces the road again.

“I like it. Looks good on you,”

The compliment has butterflies rising in your stomach. The smile on your lips growing and the worry that you had of him not being interested in you anymore slowly washing away. It felt good to receive compliments for looking like yourself. Surprised that he had even noticed the change to begin with, to anyone else it would look like you had just decided to add some color into your clothes.

It was as if he knew that what you had first presented to him, wasn't you.

Hoseok's studio building was much larger than you would've imagined. Looked like a tall industrial tower rather than a rapper's recording studio. Seemingly made of glass with the large windows that surround it. A thick laugh falls for his lips, noticing your awe at the sight. “It's not as dramatic on the inside,” He's reaching for his door, pulling it open and walking to the front of the car.

With his hands tucked in his pockets, he waits. It takes you a moment to realize that he's waiting for you... and not coming around to do the gentlemen like thing and open the door for you. You step out behind him, his arm easily finding your waist as he pulls you close.

“We won't be here for long, just gotta meet with the guys for a bit.” With a gentle tug he's leading you inside of the building.

The two of you walk past the security check-in, not even having to go through the whole rundown you notice others are. Perks of being one of the biggest artists on this label. He's greeted with each step he takes, not a single person batting an eye at the fact that you're hanging off his arm. He must bring girls here a lot then, right?

One short elevator ride later, you're turning the corner and facing a large door. 'GL' written in thick black lettering, spelled out underneath much smaller is 'genius lab'. So that's what they called it? He's pushing the door open immediately, expecting you to follow as he steps inside.

The 'guys' he had referred to earlier were the same men you met at his show the other night. Scattered around the room, doing their own thing and not even flinching at the fact that someone new had entered their sanctuary.

Joon stood in the both, determination wrinkling his brow as he tried out rhymes over the beat that Jungkook was playing for the controls across the room. Yoongi lounged on the couch, iPad in hand – fingers flicking frantically against the screen as he half-listened to the way Joon's voice voice caressed the beat.

“You're late. Did you ask her?” Joon's voice echos around the room in place to the mumble rap he had been spewing just seconds before.

Her? You take a second to peak around you, checking to see... you were the only 'her' here. They couldn't be referring to you, right? Ask you what? “Not yet,” Hoseok is replying with a roll of his eyes, shrugging off the colorful jacket he had been wearing.

“Yoongi wants you to do adlibs,”

Your brows furrow instantly, confusion riddling your features. “I don't sing,” Never once thought of it, your vocal cords just didn't work that way. What in the world made them think that it would be a good idea to have your voice mixed in with their track? That was just crazy talk.

“First of all, it was your idea.” Yoongi's bored drawl fills the room, he's standing with a roll of his eyes and you can't help but notice the hickeys coating the side of his neck. When Jimin wanted to mark his territory... “And you wouldn't be singing, just like talking? Hobi here says you have a pretty voice, so why not?”

Despite the way your eyes widen, your cheeks darken at the fact that Hoseok thought your voice was pretty. Was it bad that knowing that alone was able to turn you to mush standing where you were.

“You think I have a pretty voice?” You're turning to face where Hoseok had sat, the smile not being able to be wiped from your lips. He's shrugging his shoulders, avoiding looking at you – focusing on what Jungkook's doing. “I watched some of your videos... it sounds nice and your laugh...” He's trailing off, acting as if he had become really interested in Jungkook's fingers when in reality he was hiding his blush.

“Okay,” You're turning to Yoongi, smiling up at him. If this was Hoseok's idea of a date then you were down. Who knows, it could be fun being featured on one of their tracks... people listening and hearing your voice and wondering.

“Alright, cool. You can go in once they're done. Say whatever you want, really. Moans aren't required but, hey... get into it.” Moans!? Were you going to... Yoongi is reaching for his iPad, tucking it under his shoulder and turning his attention to the remaining guys. “Now I need to go replace some Chanel earrings, y'all good until I get back?” You're nodding even though the question is not meant for you.

The boys call back their answers as Yoongi makes his way out of the door. Sinking onto the couch, you watch Hoseok as he works. Admiring the way he looks, totally in his element as he gives direction and listens.

You don't miss the way he steals glances in your direction, trying his hardest to cover it up. Gaze flickering away from you the moment that you catch him, but he's peaking back just seconds later not able to hide the smile on his face.

Ignoring the butterflies that arise each time your eyes connect, you try your hardest not to let it go to your head. Like Jimin said. Completely uninvolved, your feelings should be. That's how it worked with guys like him. Yet, you couldn't shake the fact that he didn't act like guys like him... at all.

It had been fun. Watching them work, the way they bounced ideas off of each other. How comfortable they were in the environment they created for themselves. A little while of you just watching passed before Hoseok was worrying that you might be bored, so lost in his work that he seemed to forget he was supposed to be entertaining you. It didn't matter, though, you were enjoying just watching him.

He was ushering you over with a wide smile, arm slipping around your waist in the way you were starting to get use to. Without plan, you were leaning into his side, looking up at him with bright eyes as he spoke.

“What do you think of this beat?” A much slower pace from the songs that they usually released. Namjoon's voice leaked through, as a guide of the temp of the song and just as his verse was ending the beat was dropping. The slow sound speeding up, but still holding that powerful feeling. Hoseok's voice was heard next, his fast stylistic rap bleeding through.

The song remained upbeat from that point on, lines being shared between the two of them. “This is really good!” You're exclaiming once the music was cutting off. Jungkook is leaning back in his chair, a triumphant grin on his face.

“I told you. It works better this way,” He was standing now, cocky that he had won the little argument that you had ignored earlier. With his hands shoved in his pockets, he's making his way to the door. “You guys can play with the rest,”

“Don't even get like that, because-!” Namjoon is chasing behind him, the slam of the door cutting his sentence short. Left alone with Hoseok, you can feel the atmosphere of the room shifting. His eyes are on you as he's sinking into the seat that Jungkook had just been in, teeth nibbling on his lower lip.

“You want to try?” Despite his casual question, there's a fire in his eye. A look that hadn't been there before, you don't think. His arm is still wrapped around your waist, holding you close in front of him. Face level with your belly and getting in the doing an adlib is the last thing on your mind right now.

The tips of his fingers trace over the curve of your back, sending chills down your spine. Heat cruising through your veins and forcing a stutter in your chest. Space. Some space would keep you from jumping him right now, you're sure.

Taking a step back, you're nodding your head. “Yeah, it seems fun.” You're smiling and he's gesturing with his hand for the open doors of the glass room. You step in, securing the headphones onto your ears while watching him mess with the buttons on the panel. Suddenly, the song that you had just listened to was playing in one ear.

“Just say whatever, when you think it'll sound good,” His voice is heard overhead and you're nodding. “Okay,” You can hear yourself in the ear that is not playing the music, the sound pushing a grin onto your lips. This was so cool.

Hoseok watches you the entire time you're babbling, random phrases, and sayings falling from your lips. There's a sweet smile on his face, his eyes never leaving you even when the song has played out. “Do a laugh,” He's clicking on the talk button, his voice filling both of your ears. The sound so deep and husky, it has a pang of arousal rushing between your legs.

He restarts the song and you wait, letting out a laugh where it sounded good. A soft smile pushes onto his lips at the sound and your heart warms. So content with the sound of your laugh, it seemed. You did it again, a quiet giggle this time.

There was no way you were going to get over how handsome he looked in this moment. Comfortably dressed, but fresh... clean. Plush lip trapped between his teeth, long fingers toying with the nobs and buttons and you can't stop yourself from thinking how good it would feel to have his hands on you again.

The first time (and only time) you two were together, it had been a bit fast. Not much foreplay involved, not enough time to really get to know each other's bodies. Everything with him seemed fast to match his fast pace life. He didn't have time for formalities, he made that part pretty obvious.

But tonight, right now, it felt different. Just from the way he was looking at you, how he had been talking to you. The fact that he brought you along to work with him, when he clearly could've pushed hanging out to a later date. He wanted to see you, couldn't wait until he could; so having you in the studio with him was a great compromise.

And it was funny, even without the proper chance to get to know each other, the knowledge of the stress that would come along with getting involved with him; you still liked him. Still craved him. Always wanting more. Couldn't get the thought of being together with him like that again out of your mind.

Would it be different? Or the same? Better, most likely. You two had some time to get to know each other, become comfortable around each other. Who's telling what the two of you could get into the second time around.

Feeling bold and growing bored with trying different laughs and mumbling phrases, you let out a moan. A tiny one at first, that he hardly even notice. Too concentrated on perfecting the audio levels. So you do it again, louder and more drawn out.

Hoseok's head is whipping up, eyes wide as he stares at you. A smirk on your lips, you keep your eyes on his as you do it again. Eyes closing slightly and head rolling back. “What the...” It's like he had been frozen in place, wide eyes never leaving you. And to make matters worse, you decide to let a giggle fall from your lips at the sight of him.

“How's that sound?” Your question has him falling back to reality, blinking a few times as he shakes his head. You watch the way a smirk lifts the corners of his lips, his hand lifting to push his messy hair back.

“Ehh, sounds a bit forced. If you're gonna make those sounds, they need to sound natural.” His backs straightening, as if he's getting ready to stand up. Oh, how you wish he'd come in here and help you make these moans sound natural.

Your eyes never leave his, not even for a second. “I'm not sure I know what you mean,” Head tilting and eyelashes batting the in the cute habit you picked up through the years. “Think you can help me?”

He's standing before the words can leave your lips, long strides taken into the booth. Not daring to move a muscle as he moves to stand behind you, his hand wrapping around your stomach while he pulls your back against his chest. “It all depends how you want it to sound,” He's mumbling, freehand lifting to push your hair to one side.

“Breathy?” His lips find the skin of your neck, leaving open mouth kisses along the length and pulling a breathy moan from your lips. It echos in your ears and your vaguely aware that all of this is being recorded. You can't bring yourself to care, though. Just a passing thought, your full focus on Hoseok.

His tongue drags over your skin until he's able to catch your earlobe between his teeth. The palm of his hand is grasping at the fabric of your loose shirt, tugging at it until its being released from the waist of your skirt. “Surprised,” His hand is quick with the way it travels underneath your shirt, finding your bare breasts.

He squeezes, a short yelped falling from your lips; not expecting him to do that. You can feel his grin against your skin, his little lesson long forgotten now that he had your tit in his hand. His fingers toy with your hardened nipple while he sucks hickeys into your neck. Head drawn back and resting against his shoulder, quiet moans falling from your lips and filling both of your ears.

“I had a whole dinner planned,” He's speaking, pulling back from you just slightly. His hand still moves underneath your shirt and you're barely registering what he had said. “But... fuck, I just want to take you home. Can we skip it?” You're turning in his arm, catching the last bit of his sentence. Arms wrapping around his neck, chest pressed against his. “Let's skip it,” A breathy sigh falls from your lips, he's leaning in to cover your lips with his.

The kiss so sweet, soft and there's a tinkle in your chest from the feeling of his lips on yours. He's pulling back slowly, but shaking his head before leaning in for another kiss. And then another. And another. Soon enough you're breaking into a fit of giggles, his smile felt against your lips.

He pulls back enough to see your face, pretty eyes searching yours. Hoseok lifts his hands, cradling your cheeks in his palms. Thumbs brushing over your cheekbones as he smiles. “I think you could drive me crazy,” He's saying, not quite understanding the weight of his words. The questions instantly floating in your mind the second you register what he's just said.

Not tonight. You'll over analyze later. Instead, you're leaning up on your toes, catching his lips one last time before mumbling out: “Take me home,”

When you had said 'home' not for a second did you think Hoseok would be driving the long distance back to your apartment. Parking his expensive car in your shared lot as if it was a normal place for it. Not enough time to mull over it because he's quick with helping you out of the car, allowing you to lead the way to your complex.

Needy lips and desperate hands clash the second you two are closed within your four walls. Stumbled steps taken to your bedroom, bodies falling onto the mattress as his lips trail hungry kisses down the side of your neck. Strong hands on your hips, pushing your body up further on the bed as his kiss travels lower.

It's a moment before you're realizing what he's doing, fists dragging your skirt down your legs. He groans at the sight of your simple panties, dark eyes lifting to find your face. “You're so fucking cute,” You can only imagine how you look right now, cheeks flushed and eyes blown. Mouth agape as you wait on heavy breaths on his next move.

His long tongue drags along your slit through the material, your back instantly arching at the contact. The moan that falls from your lips as his cock twitching in his jeans and he dives in, covering your mound with his mouth in hopes to hear those sounds again.

Not long until your panties are soaked and sticky against your heat, nearly breathless and mind effectively turned to mush. He's looking at you again, watching your face as he peels your wet panties out of the way. The hem of your shirt is found by your hands, quickly being lifted and discarded.

Hoseok's eye go wide slightly, train of thought lost as he lifts his body from between your legs. His lips wrap around your newly exposed nipples, lapping at the hardened skin. “Fuck,” You pant, fingers tangling in his soft hair.

The tips of his fingers find your clit between your legs, rubbing figure eights into it's sensitivity while his mouth works against your once neglected bud. A string of curses, nonsense sentences slip past your lips as you feel your body warming.

So fast. Just like everything else with him. No thinking required. The built is easily felt throughout your whole body, his fingers moving faster and his teeth beginning to nibble. You don't notice the way he's fumbling with his other hand, too focused on reaching your end.

It's not until you feel that snap, your orgasm washing over you at the same time his cock pushing his way past your tightened folds do you figure what all the fumbling was about. “Oh, fuck!” You shout, legs lifting to wrap around his waist and pull him closer – ignoring the sensitive sting between your legs.

“So... fucking, tight.” Hoseok gasps out, head now buried in the crook of your neck as he holds onto your hips.

There was just something about being with you like this... being with you at all, that had an unfamiliar swell rising in Hoseok's chest. It was safe to say that he liked you, way more than he liked to admit.

Enjoyed your company, thought you were pretty in the most delicate way, and felt this insistent need to protect you. Be there for you. Hold you close when you needed him. Wanted to be needed by you.

It was something that he noticed when he first saw how nervous you were when you had met him. Something that he tried to ignore, keeping the mindset that he could just sleep you and that would be it. Boy, was he wrong. That just made everything worse. There was no way he could get you out of his mind now, after. He needed more of you. Craved it like a crackhead looking for their next fix.

And you were so adorably transparent he didn't even need to wonder if you were feeling the same. Realized that you had changed your look in a way to impress him, get his attention... when in reality you would've had it no matter what to begin with.

It was true, you caught his attention because of that whole thing... but there was something deeper than that. Something more to you that he couldn't really place at first. So no, he didn't start liking the persona that you tried so hard to keep up with, as if you didn't have tons of videos up of you actually being yourself, he liked you for that girl. The one with the pretty smile and the bright eyes.

That's the girl that he could see himself being with. There were already too many fakes in the world, he liked you a whole lot better.

The only problem was, he had no idea how to put that into words. Had a knot in his chest every time the thought came to mind. So he hoped this would be enough. Taking you back to his place, inviting you to his job, sleeping with you twice... this time in your room something that he usually never did. He hoped you'd pick up on the differences, be able to see that he was only like this when it came to you.

Only softened to the feeling of your nails running over his scalp, only truly lost it when it was you wrapped around him like this. Squeezing him so tight as you reached your second peak of the night, wanton moans falling from your lips, cries of his name. He really only liked the way it sounded on your tongue.

“Shit,” Hoseok's grunting out from the tightness of your fingers in his hair, the muscles in his legs and back tightening as he pushes into you fully. Body ridged as his arousal leaves his body in thick spurts.

The warmth coats your walls, body falling limp against your sheets. He pulls out short after, his seed instantly rolling down the side of your leg. A sheen layer of sweat on your body makes you sticky, but he doesn't care. Rolling onto his back, he's reaching for you to hold you close.

You're too tired, too spent to protest, complain about how you stink and should probably wash up before cuddling. Not like he'd be willing to let you go anyway, not with how at peace he felt just by holding you close.

Head laid on his chest, you listen to his slow breathing an arm wrapped around his torso as the two of you laid in silence. What you would give to peek into his mind, find out what had him so quiet.

Little did you know, his life was flashing before his eyes. The Hoseok he had once been, the dick who treated girls as nothing more than a whole slowly passing. This new refined Hoseok, ready to cherish you, respect you in ways he wasn't even sure of was blossoming.

He was ready. Not for a second would he make you feel the way he knew he made the other girls feel. All he hoped was that you'd be willing to accept him. Losing you all at once becoming the scariest thing to him.

– he’s ½ of the famous rap duo, the 94′s. when stumbling upon a pretty youtuber, he’s quick to decide he wants to have her. but one night with her just doesn’t seem like enough.

⬿ masterlist ⤳

taglist: @randomkoalablog @smoljams @dee-ehn @angjeon @moarmynation @diminieshoe @butterflylion @withlovestudyblr @uxwi @hazefilter @honeyoongles @flantasticpr @ratking101 @jinhitwhore @thisistrashperson @hehehehahahohohuhu @jaiuneamesolitaiire @hellotherehoneybee @bangtansonyeondayyyum @okaysoplshelpme @rather-not-sayy @betysotelo18 @bluefaeriefury @tae165 @kookiesjoonies @bangtansbun @koostime @justastupidnick @ashleyjoyx @kooinluv @alpaca1612 @sw33tnight @taefect94 @houseofarmanto @flantasticpr @amoreguk @kim-ji-hyeons-world @mochibabycakes @beeeb05 @tommasauras @diorhobii @kimsouthjoon @korkanswers @samros95 @soulstaes @masterpiecejoonie @melonmochi @aizuwusho @marifujioka @elliemeetsevil @thesunisup-theskyisblue @thecityrain @alterlovess @leovaldezisfire

A/N: timestamps are important throughout the fic!! if you want to be added to the taglist, send me an ask! also if you asked to be on the taglist and aren’t on there, it’s because tumblr sometimes doesn’t let me tag ppl for some reason.

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